Kenyan Company wins grant from US to develop 50-megawatt wind power plant

Actis, a leading investor in growth markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, is co-developing the project with Craftskills.
U.S. firm Delphos International will execute the study.
In addition to a wind resource assessment and plant design, the study will explore a battery energy storage solution that will enhance the capacity of the power plant and stabilize the intermittency of wind power to the grid.

The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded a grant to Kenya’s Craftskills Energy Limited for a feasibility study to develop a 50-megawatt wind power plant with integrated battery storage capacity in Kajiado, Kenya.

Actis, a leading investor in growth markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, is co-developing the project with Craftskills. U.S. firm Delphos International will execute the study.

“This project has both the structure and the smarts to succeed,” said USTDA Acting Director Thomas R. Hardy. “Craftskills has quality partners and already implemented other major wind power projects in Kenya. USTDA believes U.S. companies will be very competitive in the supply of the Kajiado project’s major components.”

There is a bright future for wind and solar power as they are rapidly becoming cheaper than fossil fuel electricity plants. AFP

In addition to a wind resource assessment and plant design, the study will explore a battery energy storage solution that will enhance the capacity of the power plant and stabilize the intermittency of wind power to the grid. The result would be more power delivered more reliably to Kenyan consumers at a competitive cost.

“The U.S. Embassy is proud to continue its support for this project,” said U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter. “We are committed to helping our Kenyan partners gain access to U.S. government resources that will help them grow their economy with the expertise of American companies.”

This project supports Power Africa and the Electrify Africa Act, by increasing capacity and supporting private sector involvement in Africa’s energy sector.