Our Story
DEL’s Sponsors
Anergi
Founded in 2004, Anergi has grown into one of Africa’s most diversified and influential strategic investors, developing, owning, and operating large-scale energy assets across sub-Saharan Africa. Its portfolio spans both thermal and renewable technologies and today comprises six major assets at various stages of operation and development, delivering a combined 1,518 MW of capacity across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sierra Leone.
Anergi’s footprint includes some of the continent’s most significant power projects. In South Africa, the company is the majority owner of the 360 MW Kelvin Power Plant, one of Johannesburg’s key sources of electricity. In Kenya, Anergi is the largest shareholder in the landmark 310 MW Lake Turkana Wind Power Project—the biggest wind farm in Africa—and also played a pivotal development role in the 90 MW Rabai Power Plant near Mombasa.
In Ghana, Anergi is a major partner in Twin City Energy, a 200 MW dual-fuel combined-cycle plant in Aboadze that provides vital base-load power to the national grid. The company has also participated in the development of the 461 MW Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant in Nigeria, one of West Africa’s most prominent gas-fired power stations.
With its assets collectively supplying electricity to more than 30 million people, Anergi plays a crucial role in supporting economic growth and improving energy access across the region. Its strategy is grounded in African ownership and long-term sustainable development, with a mission to “create the means for power to empower.” By combining renewable energy, efficient gas technologies, and robust operational expertise, Anergi continues to expand its position as one of Africa’s pre-eminent power infrastructure providers.
Viathan
Viathan Engineering Limited is a leading, world-class provider of captive and embedded power solutions. The company is deeply committed to delivering uninterrupted and reliable electricity to government, commercial, and residential clients, with a proven track record in Nigeria’s off-grid and distributed power sector, primarily using natural gas as fuel.
Incorporated in 2011, Viathan has systematically built a diversified portfolio of gas-fired power assets, including PIPP LVI Genco in Lekki, Akute Power Plant, Island Power Plant, Lisabi Power in Ogun State, and Ilupeju Power Plant. These plants collectively serve critical loads such as public infrastructure, industrial estates, commercial hubs, and residential communities, helping to displace hundreds of small diesel generators with cleaner and more efficient centralised generation.
Beyond building and operating plants, Viathan has also distinguished itself in private distribution and last-mile delivery. Through dedicated electricity distribution networks, spanning over 160 km and structured commercial arrangements, the company delivers power directly to end-users. This has translated into tangible benefits: reduced operating costs for customers, lower emissions compared to diesel-fired alternatives, and improved quality of life for communities connected to Viathan’s networks.
Today, Viathan’s assets provide a combined installed capacity of around 40 MW across its independent power plants (IPPs), with a clear and focused plan to grow capacity to 200 MW within the next five years. This growth ambition is anchored in a strong development pipeline, disciplined project execution, and long-standing relationships with government counterparties, regulators, and private clients. By pairing technical expertise with innovative commercial structures, Viathan continues to play a pivotal role in closing Nigeria’s power gap and building the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
Origins: Solving a Practical Power Problem in Lagos
Decentralised Energy Limited (DEL) traces its roots to a bold Public Private Partnership launched by the Lagos State Government in 2013 to solve a very practical problem: reliable power for public services. At the time, courts, schools, general hospitals, and street lighting depended on hundreds of diesel generators that were costly, noisy, and highly polluting.
Under this PPP, the State signed long-term power purchase agreements with private developers to build gas-fired independent power plants (IPPs) that would serve clusters of public facilities from single, efficient nodes. The result was quieter operations at the point of use, the elimination of diesel logistics across dozens of sites, and a meaningful reduction in power costs for government.
From PIPP to Viathan: Building a Platform
PIPP LVI Genco (“PIPP”), founded by two Lagosians determined to help solve Nigeria’s electricity challenge, was one of the private partners selected under the programme. From 2015, the Founders, together with a consortium of private equity investors, consolidated and scaled these early successes, investing a cumulative value of approximately $74 million in equity to form the Viathan Group.
Over time, this platform designed, financed, built, acquired, and operated multiple assets including the 6.5 MW PIPP Plant, 16 MW Island Power Plant, 12.25 MW Akute Power Plant, and 4.5 MW Lisabi Power Plant. Viathan also developed new captive plants for industrial and retail customers and launched a compressed natural gas (CNG) business to move cleaner fuel to industries across Nigeria.
In addition, Viathan became the maiden investment platform for Nigeria’s first Corporate Infrastructure Bond guaranteed by Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company Limited, helping to deepen local capital markets for infrastructure.
The Birth of DEL: A Next-Generation Decentralised Energy Platform
DEL is the next chapter in this evolution: a focused, integrated energy company purpose-built to scale decentralised energy solutions. Spun out of the Viathan ecosystem, DEL is led by the former executives who successfully developed the commercial, industrial, and wholesale residential portfolio, and is co-owned with strategic investor Anergi.
DEL brings the same hard-won development and operating experience to a broader mission: delivering cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable energy where it matters most — close to customers.
Our Super Powers
DEL is a long-term partner to our customers, investors, and communities. We distinguish ourselves through:
- Partnership: We co-create solutions with utilities, policymakers, regulators, customers, and technical partners to align incentives and deliver sustainable outcomes.
- Balance sheet strength: Backed by institutional capital, we are able to provide bridge capital and undertake medium- to large-scale deployments with confidence.
- Deep industry experience: Our team has one of the deepest track records in developing and operating complex energy projects across Nigeria. Collectively, they have built 14 gas-fired power plants, 120 MW / 184 MWh of renewables capacity, 216,000 SCM/day of CNG capacity, and the first floating solar farm in Nigeria.
- Ownership mindset: We take responsibility end-to-end — we design, finance, build, and operate, staying close to our assets and customers over the long term.
- Customer-first approach: We start from a deep understanding of real-world customer constraints, not theory, and design solutions that work in practice.
- Operational excellence: We execute with discipline, safety, and transparency, ensuring reliability and performance across our portfolio.