Better
Healthcare
Sustainably improve quality of life of populations through better treatment and working conditions in rural and remote health facilities in Africa.
LEARN MORE
CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Use renewable, flexible and modular plug-in energy systems for delivering continuously and reliably energy for heating, cooling, water treatment and electricity
LEARN MORE
CLEAN WATER FACILITIES
Provide drinking water free of viruses and bacteria, as well as soft water and steam/hot water
LEARN MORE
CLEAN COOLING SOLUTIONS
Use of environmentally friendly natural refrigerants to provide medium, low and ultra-low temperatures for cooling applications.
LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE PROJECT
A stand-alone solution
The objective of the SophiA project is to provide sustainable off-grid energy supplies and clean drinking water for rural and remote health facilities in Africa, thereby accelerating the sustainable development, growth and economic transformation, and ensuring improved access to energy and health services for all.
The EU-funded SophiA project will develop containerised solutions for hospitals using natural refrigerants, solar thermal energy and photovoltaics. This will make it possible for health care units to access carbon-neutral energy for electricity, heating and the cooling of medicine, as well as safe and clean drinking water, increasing quality of life in a sustainable way.
The systems will be manufactured in Africa, and they will be tested at four rural hospitals in remote regions of the continent. Project results will accelerate sustainable development, growth and economic transformation in Africa
SophiA will enable African populations to sustainably increase their quality of life by providing to rural and remote health facilities access to:
Safe, clean drinking water and deionised water for medical purposes
Hot water and steam production for hospital thermal requirements
Cooling of medicines and food at +5°C
Low temperature storage of blood plasma at -30°C
Ultra-low temperature storage of sensitive medication at -70°C
Emergency electricity supply for surgical and intensive care units
The SophiA-Systems will be manufactured in Africa and will provide for the first-time innovative solutions based on climate-friendly natural refrigerants to cover cooling demand for three different temperature ranges (-70°C with ethane, -30°C with CO2, and +5°C with propane).
Stay tuned!
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!
OUR DEMO SITES
Four hospitals will be equipped with the SophiA-Systems as demo sites.
The systems will be tested and demonstrated at four rural hospitals in remote regions throughout the African continent covering the major geographical regions and different climatic conditions in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi and Uganda.
These field experiences allow us to adjust and make our manufacturing concepts more reliable.
13 partners from three European and four African countries
The SophiA consortium consists of thirteen carefully selected partners, building a strong multi-national and interdisciplinary team, well balanced between academia and industry. Covering all competences needed for research, design, development, integration, implementation and demonstration of the SophiA systems, the consortium is well set to deliver promising project results.
Project coordinator:
Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA) is a state-owned institution of higher education. The University is very active in the area of applied research. The Institute of Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning and Environmental Engineering (IKKU) is the coordinator of the SophiA project.
Nairobi, Kenya – 1 November 2025 — The World Cold Chain Symposium (WCCS) convened global experts, industry leaders, and policymakers at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, ahead of the 37th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol. Organised by the Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) in partnership with UNEP OzonAction and Carrier, this…
Transforming Rural Healthcare with Sustainable Energy Solutions The Sustainable Off-Grid Solutions for Pharmacies and Hospitals in Africa (SophiA) Project has…
