bPOWERd is democratizing access to clean energy for underserved communities.

In many areas in Africa, the choice is often between darkness during load shedding or the heavy cost of a noisy, high-emission generator. We believe reliable power should be available to all.

We provide a more sustainable way forward with no installation fees and no debt:

⚡Affordable: Battery rentals for as little as $1 a day.

⚡Versatile: Powering homes and small businesses.

⚡Clean: Silent, zero-emission energy on demand.

We are currently operating across two key markets in Africa to ensure that energy poverty becomes a thing of the past.

bPOWERd is a clean energy venture developed by bp, delivering affordable, pay-per-use power to households and small businesses across Africa through solar-charged portable battery rentals. Launched in South Africa in 2025, the model is deliberately simple: no installation, no contract, no generator fumes — customers pay a refundable deposit, collect a solar-charged battery from a nearby hub, use it, and return it for recharging. It removes the biggest barrier to clean energy adoption, the upfront cost of solar systems, inverters and battery installations that most households and informal businesses cannot afford.

Traction has been rapid. In its first twelve months in South Africa, bPOWERd facilitated over 125,000 rentals, serving barbers, salon owners, food vendors and spaza shop operators whose businesses stop when the power goes out. In May 2026 the company expanded into Nigeria, launching across seven Lagos sites in partnership with 11 Plc, operator of Mobil service stations — and hit 60% of its six-month rental target within seven weeks. The economics are compelling: where running a small generator can cost a Nigerian household around ₦10,000 a day in fuel, bPOWERd’s 1,000Wh battery starts at ₦3,000 per day and its 300Wh unit at ₦1,500, a roughly 70% reduction in daily energy costs with no exhaust, noise or jerry cans. The batteries power LED lights, fans, televisions, refrigerators, phones and basic business equipment. Beyond energy access, the rollout supports a local green workforce through on-site sales roles and partnerships with Nigerian solar technicians. As Managing Director Jonathan Lule frames it, the company is helping households and SMEs access dependable power at a time of continued grid instability — energy becoming, like mobile data and streaming before it, something you use rather than something you own.