GrinPlanet Technologies

GrinPlanet Technologies

GrinPlanet Technologies

ransforming plastic and organic waste into durable, small-scale wind turbines to power smart cities, off-grid, and climate-resilient communities.

Kigali, Rwanda

RWA

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

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Access to affordable, clean energy remains a major challenge in Rwanda, where 36.1% of households lack electricity, and 24% of healthcare facilities and 35% of schools are not electrified. In rural areas like Eastern Rwanda, over 80% of farmers rely on increasingly unreliable rain-fed agriculture, further exacerbated by climate change. Meanwhile, 79.9% of households still depend on firewood for cooking, contributing to indoor air pollution, deforestation, and health issues, especially among women and children. At the same time, Eastern Africa faces mounting waste management problems, generating nearly 2 million tons of plastic waste annually, while Rwanda alone produces 60,000 tons of plastic and 12,000 tons of animal byproducts each year. These waste streams are largely untapped resources that could be converted into valuable, sustainable products. GrinPlanet Technologies tackles these intersecting crises—energy poverty, climate vulnerability, and plastic pollution—by converting plastic and organic waste into durable, small-scale wind turbines. Our solution provides clean energy for off-grid communities, smart cities, and essential services, while supporting the circular economy and creating green jobs for youth.

GrinPlanet Technologies has developed innovative small-scale wind turbines made from recycled plastic waste, fiberglass, and animal byproducts. These durable turbines—designed to last over 60 years—generate clean, renewable energy to power smart city infrastructure, electric vehicle charging stations, healthcare facilities, schools, irrigation systems, and underserved households. Our turbines are built using locally sourced waste materials, collected through a mobile platform that encourages community participation in environmental cleanup. The turbines are optimized for low-wind environments like Rwanda, where wind energy is currently untapped despite high potential, We offer two service models: direct sales of turbines with installation, and energy-as-a-service—where we install and maintain solar and wind systems for customers. The technology combines traditional wind turbine mechanics with modern materials science and circular economy principles to maximize efficiency, affordability, and sustainability. So far, we’ve provided clean energy access to over 1,000 rural households through our solar services, and we’re preparing to install our first five wind turbine pilot sites with a combined capacity of 1MW. Our solution empowers communities, reduces emissions, and transforms waste into clean energy.

Our solution serves underserved communities in Rwanda and Eastern Africa, including off-grid rural households, smallholder farmers, schools, healthcare centers, and local businesses that lack reliable access to electricity. We also target youth and women through job creation and skills development. In Rwanda, 36.1% of households, 24% of healthcare facilities, and 35% of schools lack electricity. Over 80% of farmers in regions like Eastern Rwanda depend on unreliable rain-fed agriculture. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of households use firewood for cooking, exposing women and children to harmful indoor air pollution. Our wind turbines provide affordable, clean energy where it’s needed most—improving access to education, healthcare, clean water, food production, and digital services. By powering irrigation systems, they boost agricultural productivity and climate resilience. We also create jobs by training youth—especially women—in renewable energy installation and maintenance, waste collection, and circular economy practices. This helps build local capacity and reduces unemployment. By turning plastic and organic waste into clean energy solutions, our model not only lights up homes and schools but also empowers communities economically and protects their environment.