Ukraine To Get Mobile Nanogrids

The nanogrids will provide off-grid renewable energy for disaster response and neonatal action

Global climate-resilience solution specialist Sesame Solar has committed to donate four mobile nanogrids to Ukraine to provide off-grid renewable energy for disaster response and neonatal services. It has also announced a partnership with water innovation company Watergen to create a continuous green energy loop on its nanogrids. By extracting water from humidity in the air, the nanogrids will have unlimited clean drinking water and unlimited deionised water to power the green hydrogen fuel cells.

Powered by both solar, green hydrogen energy and battery storage, the nanogrids start generating off-grid, clean mobile power in less than 15 minutes. Each one is equivalent in size to a shipping container for easy transport to hard-to-reach areas. In Ukraine, three of the four nanogrids can be customised to provide mobile power which can be used for disaster response, power outages, communications centres and more.

The other nanogrid will be designed as a mobile neonatal medical clinic, as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has created a challenging environment for expectant mothers and healthcare providers. Thanks to Sesame Solar’s new partnership with Watergen to install air-to-water generation technology in its nanogrids, each unit sent to Ukraine will also have the ability to produce clean drinking water.

The nanogrids consist of a retractable solar array that provides the energy to charge the battery storage system and to produce green hydrogen via electrolysers. As a 100% renewable and modular solution, Sesame Solar does not depend on diesel or gas and it operates independently from the grid. The nanogrids serve a wide range of use cases including water filtration, medical services, wifi, electric vehicle charging access.

They have previously been deployed in Dominica, powering a mobile medical clinic in a remote area for more than three years. Additionally, following Hurricane Ian, nanogrids were employed by Comcast in Fort Myers, Florida, to provide power for crisis response centres, serving essential needs for more than 300 residents and first responders daily.

The partnership with Watergen will enable Sesame Solar to ensure a steady supply of deionised water, a crucial filtration component for green hydrogen production. This advances Sesame Solar’s off-grid system, which runs solely on sunshine and green hydrogen. Beyond supporting energy production, the nanogrids will generate clean drinking water within minutes.

“Our partnership with Watergen centres around a shared commitment to use sustainable technology to improve the lives of people globally,” said Lauren Flanagan, CEO and co-founder of Sesame Solar. “This is a major unlock for companies that need clean water in a fast, mobile and self-sustaining way.”

The Watergen filtration system absorbs air from the environment and transfers it to the heat exchanger, which is the heart of the technology. Using proprietary software, the heat exchanger extracts the water and transfers it into a buffer tank. From there, it passes through filters and UV lamps to purify and add minerals to the water, according to specifications set out by Watergen researchers. This purification and filtration system ensures clean, safe drinking water that complies with all international standards.

Sesame Solar was one of some 140 companies and non-profits that declared their commitments to efforts in climate resilience, health equity and inclusive economic recovery and growth at the recent 2023 Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.‍‍ Founded by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers dedicated to the idea that more can be accomplished together than we can apart.