Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are working on numerous projects focused on sustainable energy in Africa. Key areas include renewable energy sources such as solar power, biomass, and small-scale hydropower, as well as energy storage and grid stability. Completed projects also provide valuable insights for future collaborations. Together with African partners, KIT develops technological solutions tailored to local needs and environmental conditions. 

 

CARE-O-SENE connects seven major German and South African project partners. Together, they develop optimized catalysts for the production of green kerosene. CARE-O-SENE will play a key role in sustainably transforming industries such as aviation. The goal is to make the production of green kerosene as a fuel alternative economically more attractive.  

Institute: IInstitute of Catalysis Research and Technology Institut für Katalyseforschung  
und -technologie (IKFT)  

Contact: Dr. Moritz Wolf  

Duration: 2022 - 2025  

Partner: Projektpartner - CARE-O-SENE  

Webseite: Home - CARE-O-SENE  

Project Goals The main objective of this project is to develop and establish an innovative, intelligent monitoring system that monitors the electricity distribution network of the Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) using advanced measurement and communication techniques and the Internet of Things (IoT). The EEU is facing significant challenges with high technical and commercial losses (~40%), outdated infrastructure, lack of real-time information, data, and monitoring systems. Current sensors will be developed to transmit data over long distances using LoRa modulation and implement energy harvesting to provide data even during power outages. The data provided by the sensors will help the EEU to understand the stability issues of the grid and enable faster localization of faults.  

 

ITIV Participation The project will be managed under the supervision of ITIV. The design and implementation of the prototype, the entire system consisting of smart sensors, network topology setup, LoRa gateways, and the central server, will initially be carried out in the laboratory centers of ITIV. Haramaya University, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Electric Utility, will test the developed monitoring system in the city of Harar.  

 

Duration 2021 – 2023  

Website KIT - ITIV - Research and Publications - Projects - Projects group Prof. Stork - Smart-e-Meter 

Contact  Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Wilhelm Stork 

Institute ITIV Institut für Technik der Informationsverarbeitung 

 

Context Rapid urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa is transforming cities at an unprecedented pace, bringing with it both opportunities and significant challenges. One of the main challenges is the strain on infrastructure. Many cities are struggling to expand their infrastructure fast enough to meet the growing demand. This includes roads, public transportation, water supply and sewage systems. Managing this rapid urban growth is a huge task and new ways of urban planning need to be developed to create a liveable environment for the people of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). 

ITIV is leading a project that brings together stakeholders from academia, government, infrastructure and urban planning to develop novel ideas for the city of the future. The main problem is the lack of data on the current influx of people into urban centers. Rush hour is not a phenomenon that only occurs in the developed world. The movement of people is a crucial area of urban planning. Reliable traffic data is needed for this project. Your task is to analyze current products and methods and find the most suitable ones for the project. 

Tasks 

  • Analyze existing traffic counting methods and sensors 

  • Development of a monitoring system for a district in Addis Ababa 

Prerequisites 

  • Motivation and interest in solving technical problems independently 

  • Interest in electronics and embedded systems 

Duration Start 2024 

Institute ITIV Institut für Technik der Informationsverarbeitung 

Contact M.Sc. Markus Lehner 

Website https://www.itiv.kit.edu/21_10648.php