US firm targets power from sisal waste, saw dust

Workers sort sisal fibre waste at a factory in Nakuru last year. Cummins Cogeneration says it will produce electricity from sisal waste, macadamia shells and saw dust. FILE 

By George Omondi, omondi@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• Cummins Cogeneration Kenya seeks to generate 120MW from renewable sources in next three years.
• The firm’s managing director Yash Krishna Thursday said five sites would be developed next year.
• Top on the list is a Sh2.1 billion project to be constructed in Kinango, Kwale County which will generate electricity from sisal waste.

Cummins Cogeneration Kenya has lined up 14 more biomass power projects in Kenya to generate 120 megawatts annually from renewable resources in the next three years.

Just a day after launching a Sh1.9 billion mesquite wood (mathenge) power generation in Baringo, the firm’s managing director Yash Krishna Thursday said five sites would be developed next year.

Top on the list is a Sh2.1 billion project to be constructed in Kinango, Kwale County which will generate electricity from sisal waste.

The firm also intends to generate electricity from sawdust in Elburgon, macadamia shells in Thika, coconut shells in the Coast and bagasse in Kisumu.

“We are not just focusing on mesquite wood,” Mr Krishna told the Business Daily on Thursday.

“By the end of the third year, we’ll be having 15 projects in areas with potential to produce enough biomass to sustain our target of 120 megawatts per year.”

Cummins Cogeneration, a subsidiary of US-based Cummins Ltd, has signed a power purchase agreement with Kenya Power for its 12MW-a year power production from the Baringo plant.

READ: ‘Mathenge’ tree power generation starts in June

Cummins Cogeneration Kenya was initially launched as Tower Power, a joint venture between Manu Chandaria’s Comcraft Group and a UK energy conglomerate Powergas International.

The company has received support from President Obama’s Power Africa team, which mobilises financing and technical support for innovative ways of producing power cheaply in six sub-Sahara Africa countries.

The initiative targets 10,000 megawatts in the region by 2020.

In Kenya, the team aims to mobilise Sh85 billion from public and private sectors to finance firms that produce electricity cheaply, making it affordable for more citizens.

It is under the initiative that the United States Agency for International Development (USaid) negotiated the power purchase agreement for Cummins Cogeneration with Kenya Power.

A number of US government agencies are also supporting the Kiserian-based Kipeto Wind Farm which seeks to produce 100 megawatts, Turkana Wind Project and a number of other wind and geothermal projects around the country.

Kenya has the highest cost of power in East Africa which is driven by a large thermal component (43 per cent) that has seen the utility’s retail price soaring to 20 US cents (Sh17) per kilowatt hour.