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Bloomberg
Wartsila Oyj’s East African unit submitted bids for engineering, procurement and construction contracts to develop grid-connected solar farms in Kenya.
The East African nation, which has an electricity sup-ply deficit, is boosting production from renewable sources including wind and geothermal as it cuts reliance on expensive diesel-powered plants. There are about 15 utility-scale solar projects announced in Kenya with a total capacity of 526 megawatts, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Wartsila is working on several potential projects around the country, according to George Oywer, a business development manager at Wartsila Eastern Africa Ltd. “Renewable energy is the next frontier,†Oywer said.
The Finnish power generator in the past supplied heavy fuel oil-fired plants for thermal projects in Kenya for a total 450 megawatts.
Separately, Kenya switched on its largest solar facility with installed capacity of 50 megawatts, Energy Secretary Charles Keter said by phone. The park in the semi-arid eastern county of Garissa is injecting 15 megawatts into the national grid and will run at full capacity in a week when commissioning tests are complete, he said.