Johnnie McMillan |
Gorge farm utilises local organic crop waste as
feedstock for an innovative two-stage Anaerobic Digestive plant that is
consistently up to 30% more efficient than conventional single-stage
plants. The waste is digested by micro-organisms feeding in the absence
of oxygen to produce biogas... “Through biogas and solar, we want to
displace expensive and imported generation fuels – like diesel and heavy
fuel oil – from Kenya’s distributed power mix" - Johnnie McMillan,
Managing Director, Tropical Power.
Across Africa
countries are committed to scaling up renewable energy production to
meet their growing energy needs. However, this will require bold
thinking and innovation to deliver affordable and reliable power
solutions that can be rapidly deployed. When even waste material can be
used to produce energy, it’s a win-win situation all round.
Africa’s first
grid-connected anaerobic digester plant on Gorge Farm in Kenya was
developed by Tropical Power and is operated by independent power
producer Biojoule. The Gorge Farm Energy Park, launched in August 2015,
uses organic waste and sunshine to produce renewable power, both of
which are plentiful on the 800ha vegetable farm.
Currently only 23 per cent of Kenya’s population have access to electricity, says the World Bank, yet access to energy is a key imperative for economic development. Gorge Farm Energy
Park has an installed capacity of 2.8MW, with a net output of 2.2 MW
bringing much-needed power into the grid at a time when Kenya’s energy
needs are steadily rising.
The plant is
powered by GE’s J420 Jenbacher engines, which are able to operate
smoothly at 2,000 meters above sea level. This was the first time that
Jenbacher engines were deployed on a renewable energy project in East
Africa. As the largest biodigester of its type in East Africa, Gorge
Farm Park is seen as a trailblazer for renewable energy development in
the region.
The project cost
US$6.5 million to build and was developed in under 12 months, with a
projected payback period of less than six years.
“Through the Gorge
Farm Energy Park we aim to displace the expensive and imported
generation fuels – like diesel and heavy fuel oil – from Kenya’s
distributed power mix. The Gorge Farm AD Plant is proof that locally
produced feedstock can generate clean and cost effective distributed
power,” says Mike Mason, chairman of Tropical Power.
“This was the first
anaerobic digester project for GE in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a big
win for Kenya and Africa in general, demonstrating that waste to power
projects are feasible in this market” says Oluwatoyin Abegunde, GE’s
distributed power leader for Africa.
Beyond producing
power, the plant has multiple environmental benefits. These include the
development of a rich natural fertiliser, which is a by-product of the
power production process. Once fed back into the land this helps to
improve crop health and reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers.
Further by displacing oil-fired generation from the grid, the plant
reduces carbon emissions by 7,000 tons a year.
“The Gorge Farm
Energy Park is a showcase project for Nakuru County, Kenya and the
African continent. Distributed power projects are vital to our energy
security, reliability and efficiency. And the Park will be using local
crop waste and the sun to generate clean, renewable power close to the
point of use,” said Nakuru County Governor Kinuthia Mbugua.
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