Infrastructure

Chinese Firm Races to Finalize Kenya’s Largest Solar Plant

The Garissa solar power plant will produce 76,470 megawatt hours (MWh) a year.

Updated on

February 15, 2018

The Garissa solar plant comprises 300,000 solar panels. PHOTO | FILE

Construction of the largest solar power plant in Kenya, with a maximum capacity of 54 megawatts (MW), is well underway in Garissa with the Chinese contractor expecting the project to be fully operational in the next seven months.

China Jiangxi International Kenya Limited’s engineers are currently racing to beat a self-imposed deadline, and the company has assured the stakeholders that it will do its best to complete the project by September.

The 85-hectare Garissa solar power plant is being set up for Sh13.5 billion – an amount that has been advanced by the China Exim Bank.

On completion, the solar plant that comprises 300,000 solar panels will produce 76,470 megawatt hours (MWh) a year – enough to power 625,000 homes, while slashing carbon emissions by 64,190 tonnes a year.

Rural Electrification Authority chief executive Peter Mbugua said on Tuesday that the project in Balambala Sub-County will inject additional power into the national grid – thereby boosting Kenya’s stride towards clean energy.

“We are happy with the progress. We have a target to deliver this project in September,” Mr Mbugua said while touring the project.

China Jiangxi has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Kenya Power to sell electricity generated from the solar plant at Sh12/kWh.

In October 2012, Chinese photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer JinkoSolar Holdings said it had signed a deal with China Jiangxi to supply photovoltaic modules for the solar park.

“We expect this project will provide JinkoSolar with future opportunities in Kenya’s solar power plant industry,” the NYSE-listed firm said in a statement.

The Garissa solar plant comes at a time when Kenya is pushing for alternative power sources to supplement hydro-power and expensive diesel-generated thermal power.