Bamburi Cement is set to disconnect electricity from Kenya Power as it switches to solar power. Bamburi has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with an independent power producer, Momnai Energy Limited, that will it set up two solar plants at its factories in Mombasa and Nairobi. The two solar power systems will have a capacity of 14.5 megawatts and five megawatts respectively.
This will account for up to approximately 40 per cent of Bamburi’s total power supply. “We are elated to be making this step towards switching to more affordable and clean energy that will not only lead to a significant reduction in power costs but also bring us closer to our goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions,” said Miriam Ngolo, Bamburi’s Strategy & Business Development Director.
Over the past 10 years, Bamburi has substituted heavy fuels with the use of alternative fuels like biomass including rice husks and other waste materials such as waste tyres and waste oil in its operations. Construction of the solar power plants is scheduled to begin at the end of 2022, after requisite regulatory approvals with expected completion within a year.
“Shifting to renewable solar energy will help us meet key objectives under our sustainability agenda which include reducing the carbon footprint of our operations, saving on costs, and upholding Holcim’s Net Zero Pledge with Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi,” said Bamburi’s Group Managing Director, Seddiq Hassani.
Bamburi will join big power consumers such as National Cement, Africa Logistics Properties (ALP), Mombasa International Airport, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) who have recently commissioned solar power units.
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Momnai Energy will be responsible for financing all costs related to the project, including developing, managing, operating, and maintaining the solar photovoltaic plants’ infrastructure. “We are dedicated to playing a significant role in a fast transition to a cleaner and cheaper energy sector in Africa for a more sustainable world and improvements of the economies and livelihood of people on the African continent,” said Momnai Energy Director, Anders Hauch.
