Kenya to benefit from Power Africa project

Kenya to benefit from Power Africa project

Kenya is set to benefit from a USD 1.1 million energy fund targeting countries in Sub Saharan Africa.

According to a Reuters report, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia are among the beneficiaries of the energy grant from three United States organizations to help expand the use of energy.

The eleven companies selected to benefit from the project, including some in Tanzania, Ethiopia and in West African countries, will each receive a USD 100,000 grant to expand renewable energy projects.

The programme, dubbed Off-Grid Energy Challenge, is part of the Beyond the Grid Initiative funded by General Electric Africa, U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The USD 5 million three-year Challenge Award is expected to benefit more than 50 companies in the continent.

“These energy entrepreneurs are finding solutions for rural communities to access power, including solar-powered mini-grids, home solar systems and revolving credit funds,” GE Africa, USAID and USADF said in a joint statement.

The winning projects focus on renewable energy, mainly solar, biogas and hydro-electricity generation and are expected to provide electricity and light to more than 20 million households across the continent.

The Off-Grid Energy Challenge is part of President Obama’s Power Africa programme, a partnership between the U.S. government, African governments and the private sector.

While unveiling the initiative in 2013, President Obama pledged to double power generation in Africa within five years. The initiative currently focuses on Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Tanzania and Nigeria.

Its initial goal was to add 10,000MW and 20 million new connections in the six sub-Saharan countries.

But in August 2014, during the first U.S.-Africa leaders’ summit, President Obama announced a tripling of Power Africa’s goal – adding 30,000MW and 60 million connections across sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, President Obama pledged to support the programme at a new level of USD 300 million per year.

In Kenya, Ambalian Company will use the USD 100,000 grant awarded to install a wind turbine in the north to replace diesel-powered generators currently used to pump water.