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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Worried by the spate of epileptic power, Chief Executive Officer of Newdigit, Derick Nwasor, has charged hospitals and industries to embrace Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells and electrolyzers to generate electricity.
Nwasor, in a statement yesterday, said it was disheartening that patients die due to poor power supply in hospitals when the government and private hospitals could seek alternative means of electricity.
He explained that PEM combines three integrated components which split water to produce hydrogen and oxygen, a PEM Fuel Cell which converts hydrogen into reliable electricity, and a solar PV array which powers the entire process using renewable energy.
According to him, the components provide hospitals with 12-15 kW of continuous, clean power, 10-40 litres per day of medical-grade oxygen and a steady supply of clean water as a by-product, adding that the system also has a plug-and-play design that enables fast deployment and easy scaling.
He said: “Many hospitals in Nigeria rely on unstable electricity from the grid, with 8-10 hours of power cuts every day, so they use polluting diesel generators for backup.”
“With Just Add Water, hospitals can power essential equipment, produce life-saving oxygen onsite and even recover clean water, leading to improved healthcare services.”
“Supported by the first round of the Powering Healthcare Innovation Fund, this project is improving healthcare delivery with a modular solution that runs on water and solar energy.”
The co-founder said the Just Add Water system targets the health sector specifically and integrates solar power with PEM technology to generate electricity, oxygen and clean water, all very critical resources for healthcare facilities.
More so, he disclosed that the Just Add Water systems are being installed in three hospitals across Lagos, serving a combined patient population of more than 24,000 people each year.
By reducing reliance on unreliable grids and costly diesel generators, he said the systems will avoid over 150 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and generate approximately 274 MWh of clean electricity in their first year of operation.
To ensure sustainability and local ownership, the organisation has commenced training of hospital staff and local technicians to operate and maintain the systems.
“This hands-on training ensures facilities can maximise uptime and independently manage their clean energy and oxygen supply,” he said.
Also, the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Joy Princess, noted that Lagos was the starting point for the training and installation, adding that their goal by 2030 is to reach at least 1,000 hospitals across Nigeria.
“We aim to improve the lives of millions of patients, every single year.”
“This project was funded as part of the first cohort of the Powering Healthcare Innovation Fund, launched by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) in 2024 with support from UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) initiative. The fund is designed to unlock out-of-the-box approaches and ideas that can advance healthcare electrification.”
“Out of 84 applicants, three grantees were selected in the first round, with Newdigit Technologies receiving a grant of USD 50,000 to implement their clean energy and oxygen generation solution. Project implementation began in September 2024 and is expected to conclude this month.”
In addition, Senior Energy Officer at SEforALL, Charlie Knight, said: “Newdigit’s approach demonstrates the power of combining renewable energy and innovation to tackle multiple challenges in healthcare.”
“This project shows how clean technologies can simultaneously provide reliable electricity, oxygen and water which could be revolutionary in creating resilient health systems across Africa.”
