Bamburi Cement orders two solar power plants

Bamburi Cement PLC (Holcim group) has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Momnai Energy Ltd to set up two solar plants adjacent to the company's Mombasa cement plant and Nairobi grinding plant in Kenya.

The project, which aims to save on power costs as well as contribute to net zero carbon emissions by switching to renewable energy, is set to deploy solar power systems with a total capacity of 14.5MW and 5MW for Bamburi's Mombasa plant and Nairobi (Athi River) grinding plant, respectively. This will account for up to approximately 40 per cent of Bamburi’s total power supply.

"We are elated to be making this step towards switching to more affordable and clean energy that will not only lead to a significant reduction in power costs but also bring us closer to our goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions," said Miriam Ngolo, Bamburi’s strategy and business development director.

Construction of the solar power plants is scheduled to begin end of 2022, after requisite regulatory approvals, with expected completion within a year.

Momnai Energy will be responsible for financing all costs related to the project, including developing, managing, operating and maintaining the solar photovoltaic plants’ infrastructure.

Bamburi’s Group Managing Director, Seddiq Hassani, said, "Shifting to renewable solar energy will help us meet key objectives under our sustainability agenda which include reducing the carbon footprint of our operations, saving on costs, and upholding Holcim’s net zero pledge with Science- Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It will also position us to deliver on our commitments to the UN COP21 Climate Change Agreement while remaining environmental stewards and partners in building Kenya sustainably."

Momnai Energy Director, Anders Hauch, said, “We are dedicated to playing a significant role in a fast transition to a cleaner and cheaper energy sector in Africa for a more sustainable world and improvements of the economies and livelihood of people on the African continent. Supplying solar power directly to Bamburi Cement fulfils both our agendas and we are delighted to assist the Holcim Group in fulfilling its net zero pledge."