UK infuses Sh220m into Kenya solar plants

The UK Government is injecting Sh220 million ($2.2million) in the development of two solar plants in rural Kenya.

The funds will be transferred through InfraCo Africa, a private infrastructure development group company.

The UK’s Minister for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, announced the funding to develop solar plants in Samburu and Transmara, each with a capacity of 10 MW (AC).

According to her, “The Samburu and Transmara projects will demonstrate the commercial viability of strategically sited small-scale solar plants (10MWAC and below) and so mobilise greater private sector participation in this market segment.”

The two power plants will add to the many electricity projects that have been started or are planned as Kenya races to raise output to 5,000MW and cut the cost of electricity to consumers by half.

The Kenyan government targets universal electricity access by 2020, up from 70 percent in 2017.

The UK minister noted that the Samburu and Transmara projects will directly contribute to achieving this goal.

“To date, private sector investment in Kenyan solar has focused on either large-scale plants or local mini-solar systems,” she added.