A new solar photovoltaic power plant will be built in Kisumu County in Kenya. It will be built by Ergon Solair Africa, the subsidiary of Ergon Solair PBC. The American company has received approval from the authorities for the development of a project that will inject 40 MWp into the Kenyan national electricity grid.
The authorisation was issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission of Kenya (Epra), the authority in charge of energy regulation. The company will build its solar power plant on more than 100 hectares of roadside land in the locality of Kibos. In accordance with agreements signed with the Kenyan authorities, the electricity generated by the solar power plant will be sold to the state-owned Kenya Power (KPLC) under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
The kWh of electricity will thus be sold at 7.5 US cents. The solar power plant will be connected to the grid via a 220 kV substation located near the facility. The project started in 2013 and the feasibility studies were carried out one year later. Ergon Solair reports that its plant will be commissioned in December 2023.
“We are grateful to the Kenyan government for approving this project in Kisumu County, which we are convinced will boost numerous investments and activities, making a significant contribution to the sustainable development of the region. It is all the more important at this complex moment in the world’s history to accelerate the development of solutions for a sustainable future,” says Lorenzo L. Colacicchi, founder of Ergon Solair.
The construction of the solar power plant is expected to accelerate the electrification of Kisumu County. Currently, the county government of Kisumu County is putting solar off grid to supply some of the hospitals, markets, water pumps, etc.
Jean Marie Takouleu