Kenya

Kenya recently hosted the solar-focused Powerelec Kenya event, alongside the Renewable Energy Forum Africa 2023, in Nairobi. AFSIA and SolarPower Europe organized the event with the support of Get-Invest.

Located near Nairobi, the project consists of a 150 kW solar array, a 50 kW crossflow turbine and a 240 KWh storage facility. SolarNow director and CFO Ernst Vriesendorp told pv magazine that despite the project’s humble size, it has ‘large’ benefits.

Acwa Power and Eni have signed a hydrogen development deal, while AFC Energy has signed an agreement with Tamgo to sell hydrogen generators.

National utility Keny Power is tendering solar microgrids that will be located in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Lamu, Narok, Kilifi, and Kwale.

The latest edition of the Solar Africa 2023 expo held last week in Nairobi has seen the participation of 75 exhibitors and 4,000 visitors. pv magazine was there to follow the event and explore the potential of the solar markets in East and Central Africa.

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) is demonstrating how a solar-powered refrigeration unit and dryer could be self-sustaining and improve food security in Kenya.

Phaesun and Solar Cooling Engineering have developed a PV-powered cold room for small-scale farmers in Africa. The solution, which has been installed at a farm in Kenya, includes a 2.8 kW solar array and vapor compression heat pumps.

The European Commission says it will set up the new European Hydrogen Bank by the end of this year, with additional plans to hand out 10-year contracts in a new hydrogen auction. Linde Engineering, meanwhile, is teaming up with several other companies to test solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) and ammonia cracking technology.

Kenya’s government plans to build 137 solar minigrids across remote locations in the East African country. The project received $150 million in funding from the World Bank.

UK scientists have discovered that second-life batteries could provide a lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) than conventional batteries in school buildings equipped with PV in East African schools. They said the cheapest system configuration uses either 7.5 kW or 10 kW of solar with 20 kWh of storage.