The Cooperative University of Kenya is planning a 40MW solar power plant, with the goal of supplying electricity to the national grid.
The US$50m project – still awaiting approval from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority – will be delivered in partnership with circular economy developer Dahai Shandong, which will finance, build, and operate the facility for a predetermined period before handing ownership to the university.
University Chancellor Bernard William Chitunga said the partnership will reduce budgetary strain on the university and the state, given the costs of developing large-scale energy infrastructure.
The arrangement will allow the university to avoid significant initial expenditures while enjoying reduced electricity costs and a share of the revenue from electricity sold to the grid, he added.
It is hoped the plant will establish the university as the inaugural higher education institution in the country capable of generating electricity at a utility scale – and demonstrate the potential of alternative financing strategies to develop infrastructure in Kenya.
With energy costs rising in Keny, Chitunga warned that Kenya’s goal of creating 10,000 MW of new generation cannot solely rely on public funding, prompting a need for private capital.
The plant is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
