By Keith Loria, Biomass Magazine.
In August, Tropical Power Energy Group opened Africa’s first grid-connect anaerobic digester plant in Naivasha, Kenya. Part of the Gorge Farm Energy Park, the $7.5 million project took nearly a year to get up and running. The plant is expected to utilize 50,000 metric of organic crop waste each year and produce at least 35,000 metric tons of nitrogen-rich byproduct.
Energy experts agree that the Gorge Farm AD Plant is a pioneering power project for Kenya. Distributed power projects, which generate electricity close to the point of use, are vital to Kenya’s energy security, reliability and efficiency. “Government ministries, departments and agencies are working together to encourage the private sector to develop high-quality distributed renewable power assets, like the Gorge Farm Energy Park,” says engineer Joseph Njoroge, principal secretary for the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum. “Kenya is open for business for investors and developers interested in clean, renewable and bankable energy projects. The biogas technology at this cutting-edge project will provide Kenyans with more clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity in their homes and businesses.”