Energy

Conergies designs, engineers, installs and provides maintenance for air conditioning and industrial cooling systems.

The group gathers two subsidiaries in Mali (RICA Services) and in Côte d'Ivoire (ARIC). Being comfortably settled in Mali, the group plans on a large-scaled deployment in Côte d'Ivoire where the construction market remains globally depressed. Around 80% of Abidjan towers need restoration and virtually no investment were made in the past 15 years within the sector. The local offer needs a structuration force which RICA is able to embody.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Mamadou Sanankoua graduated in Mechanics Engineering from Polytechnique Montreal and in International Project Management from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce of Paris. His academic path thus combines technical and financial skills with business engineering experiences earned within great industrial firms (Schneider Electrics, Daikin Europe). He decided to take the lead in the family business then ran by his father in 2001 to pursue its leadership over the sub-region alongside with his brothers and a friend.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

I&P has committed alongside with Conergies:

• To bring technical assistance resources needed to renew the Management Information System

• To support through marketing assistance and guide the company during its rebranding process

• To build up the governance

KEY IMPACTS

• A dozen jobs created in the new Ivorian subsidiary

• Awareness and expertise brought over efficient energy

• Health and security trainings for the employees

Created in 1980, CDS is a Mauritanian company involved in energy and water access for all and especially in the rural zones where the populations are deprived from this access.

Its activity is three-fold:

• Public service delegation : water and electricity distribution in partnership with state and local authorities
• Installment and maintenance for electro-mechanic works: potable water access, hybrid or solar systems, water treatment plants, network extension…
• Distribution of water and electricity equipment working on renewable energies: solar heater, refrigerator, wind turbines, immersed pumps…)

CDS is one of the companies featured in the project Small is Powerful

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Sidi Khalifou is graduated from Sup’Meca Paris where he volunteered at Engineer without Borders. He was a project manager for the GRET and for ECODEV an NGO he co-founded committed to local development and environmental issues in West Africa.

He joined CDS as a shareholder in 2007, then run by his father. He took the lead of the company in 2010.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

I&P committed alongside with CDS

• To accompany the company’s development through additional public service delegations contracts

• To enable the company to sell and distribute equipment in rural areas

EXIT

In partnership with CDS’ promoter, Sidi Khalifou, I&P sold its shares in 2016 to Engie Rassembleurs d’Energies and the Monaco-based impact firm SADEV. Both these partners will continue to support CDS in its development strategy and impact objectives.

KEY IMPACTS

• 20 jobs created (2015 data) 

• 30 800 households given access to drinking water, which represents close to 1,400 irrigation systems set up by CDS

• Water and electricity access equipment sold in 2015: 423 solar kits, 59 solar water heaters and more than 20 pump stations 

• 17 national suppliers 

• Enhancement of renewable energy-powered practices

• Private sector strengthening and Knock-on effect on the economic environment (agriculture, manufacture…)