THE ENERGY MAGAZINE K. 350
U. 11640
RW. 2709
TZ.7607
BR. 5403
E. 75
APRIL - MAY
WOMEN RE-WRITING
0 792382 363308 >
THE ENERGY STORY EARTH DAY Who cares? OIL MARKETERS We fear for our lives
KIAMBU COUNTY Going green after an energy audit
ENERGY EFFECIENCY Turning employees into energy ambassadors
Transforming the Nation’s economy Our goal is to provide reliable, efficient and effective electricity nationwide for sustainable socio-economic development
We design, construct, own, operate and maintain high voltage electricity transmission grid and regional power interconnectors KAWI Complex- Block B, South C P.O.Box 34942-00100, Nairobi. Tel: (+254) 20 4956000, (+254) 719 018 000 Website: www.ketraco.co.ke E-mail address: info@ketraco.co.ke
CHIEF ENERGISING DESK
THE CHANGE IS ON
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he energy sector is dealing with a complex mix of relationships between consumer trends, global commodity markets, state, county and industry regulation. Many players are waiting for the yet to be enacted energy bill 2016 that will have far more reaching impact for established firms. KENGEN anticipates selling directly to large consumers and KETRACO to charge wheeling charges. Improved access rate of four million new electricity connections in the last four years should have multiplier effect to the economy. The energy players that are prepared for the disruptions will survive and flourish while those that cling to traditional structures will struggle. The thermal generation plants will have a long discussion with the government as more renewable sources come in. The Energy Bill will have consequences at the upstream and downstream of oil and gas market which is still grappling with community related issues and the sale of counterfeit products. The sharing of the potential oil revenue is generating a lot of heat that needs to be addressed sobely. The Sole Energy distribution company need to wrestle with the technological disruption that is looming from decentralized, distributed generation from solar panels, batteries and peer-to-peer energy transactions. I wish to congratulate the participants, speakers and winners of the Women in Energy conference 2016 for re-energizing this conversation, showing opportunities and addressing how to narrow this gender Gap. The partnership of Ministry of Energy, KEPSA and Strathmore Energy Center to address the challenges and narrowing of the Gender gap was commendable. Wishing our readers, a happy Easter and peaceful electioneering period.
James Ngomeli
Contents
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6 22 Beating the odds in a man’s world
24 Using Waste to cook
The Young Ambassadors For Change
12 Rallying the energy of female students
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37 Energy advocate from the north
A social enterprise of its kind
Giving Kenya’s iconic mall a green touch 4
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Educative stories by Watts UP magazine once again. The energy sector is now getting the coverage it deserves. Particularly on the women sector. There are insightful stories in the current issue and not only the last issue. I look forward for the interesting next issue. dnkatha@gmail.com The insightful stories continue to impress. Very inspiring to both genders. Keep the spirit of educating the Kenyans high. Great work team. ianchomba@fjb.co.ke It is always interesting to enter into new dynamics of energy sector coverage. The coverage is proving to be worth to our Energy industry that still needs more research and highlight in publications. The magazine has done good work so far but extensive research wait for the energy sector stories. kjotaba@gmail.com Please send your views or comments to info@wattsup.com For subscription, send an email to info@wattsup.com
THE TEAM
39 Summer Time on Clean Energy?
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‘ Trumping’ the MiddleEast
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CHIEF ENERGISING OFFICER James Ngomeli EDITOR James Nyaigoti CREATIVES Lewis Njagi CONTRIBUTORS Bartenge Chebiwott Ian Chomba Robert Mahenia Nduku Muema Tecla Wainoe ADVERTISING Stella Wambui Email: stella@brandsandbeyond.com
Peter Scott, Burn Manufacturing
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WOMEN WOMEN IN ENERGY IN ENERGY AWARDS
BEATING THE ODDS IN A MAN’S WORLD By Staff Writer
Beatrice Muthoni, Engineer & winner professional award
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS Irregular supply
There is no doubt that Beatrice Muthoni is determined to scale the heights of the engineering profession. Besides winning the Women in Energy Professional Award, she is a Mandela Washington fellow, one of the promising young leaders who were presented with an opportunity to hone their skills in an initiative run by president Barrack Obama, to mentor young professionals in different fields. With a rich professional experience of more than five years, Beatrice is defying odds in the energy sector which is largely regarded as a man’s world. She currently works as an electrical consultant at the Kenya Tea Development Agency. She says her love for science and mathematics, from a very young age, set her up for a career in engineering but she wasn’t very sure where she would fall. Beatrice recalls that the thought came to her mind for the first time when she was in Form Four at a Career Day organised by her school, Moi Girls Eldoret. Here she got a chance to talk to one of the engineers present, who informed her about the unique growth opportunities in engineering, particularly in chemical engineering. Her interest was however, in electrical engineering.
Why electrical engineering? She grew up in the rural Molo Township of Nakuru County; an area where 15 years ago power supply interruption was the norm. Doing her homework at night was a challenge because of irregular supply of electricity. She wondered then why it was not possible for everyone to be connected to the grid. This problem kindled her interest in the energy sector and prompted her to pursue a course in electrical engineering. One of the greatest challenges she experienced when she finally got into the job market as an automation engineer, was realising that the work environment of her career of choice was actually custom-made for men. Room had to be created for her as a woman because her needs were different from those of her male colleagues. For example, she noted that safety boots, helmets and overalls were all oversize and custom-made for men. She also noted that the needs of women were not understood by employers in the sector. For instance, some employers have not put into consideration the needs of women in the child-bearing age. Muthoni gives an example of a breast feeding mother being asked to travel far.
Mentorship network Beatrice currently runs a mentorship program at Moi Girls Eldoret, as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) ambassador. This is part of a wider career mentorship network. She plans to mentor more young girls this year and even form strategic partnerships with the rest of the awardees of the Women in Energy Professional Award. Her dream is to see the cost of energy brought down and advises small-scale tea farmers to consume efficiently . She says every time she walks into a boardroom, reality strikes her that she’s the only woman in the pack. This motivates her to work hard towards mentoring young female engineers. Muthoni would like stakeholders to put their minds and effort into building a better industry with countless women.
Beatrice runs a mentorship program encouraging more young girls to take up STEM subjects
Beatrice receiving the professional award WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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REPLACING EARTH DAY WITH NATIONAL TREE PLANTING DAY
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very year, thousands of companies do thousands of wellmeaning and beneficial Earth Day activities. This year, however, those activities seemed to be a bit out of touch. The celebrations were held at the prestigious ‘The Hub’ mall in Karen with Capital FM having promoted the event across its media houses. But does ‘Earth Day’ really resonate with the masses? The low level of turnout and seeming disinterest may be a pointer that there is a disconnect between the populace and the Earth Day. Yet the significance of marking this day cannot be overstated. Kenyans continue to bear the brunt of erratic weather occasioned by environmental degradation. Droughts are occurring closer together, with each lasting even longer than the last one. The distress
we are experiencing is severe. What it stands for So how can we establish a connection between the two and rally the country behind Earth Day and what it stands for? My view is that we need to come up with original ideas that resonate with our people. Kenyans are unique in many aspects and they have a penchant for home grown solutions, must as they like to complain about their motherland. We should desist from borrowing ideas on conservation from the West and generate our own. Cutting and pasting from the rest of the world will not cut it. We need to rethink our national tree planting day that was observed across the country. Every citizen was expected
to participate by planting a tree and it was taken seriously across all schools, institutions and homes. The village headman was instrumental in raising awareness in homes and localities on tree planting and was expected to lead by example. Tree planting preceded many formal functions. This was a great movement that involved all caliber of Kenyans and was spearheaded by the president himself. We need to increase consciousness of acts that degrade our environment that we sometimes unconsciously engage in. Walking around the cities and towns, you will be surprised at how much litter we dispose of without giving it a second thought. This ends up in drains and will only be noticed when it rains and the roads are flooded. Then we heap blame on the council for not doing enough to keep our cities
Droughts are occurring closer together, with each lasting even longer than the last one. The distress we are experiencing is severe. 8
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and towns clean. We have totally removed ourselves from any responsibility whatsoever of minding our environment! It is no wonder then that today little connection can be made between our dwindling forest cover, the droughts we so often have to endure, and our politics today. County leaders are busy sharing out the existing forest among friends in pursuit for votes. This is not a sustainable way to seek leadership as the effect of cutting down trees without any serious effort to grow new forests will be felt sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, this is lost upon the masses. Corporates on environment conservation Where are the corporates on this issue of environment and conservation? There are many corporates who have embraced environment as part of their CSR in recognition of its importance. A key attribute of a good CSR program is its sustainability beyond the enterprise’s funding. But are the effects existing programs being felt? Have these initiatives morphed into something more sustainable? The high profile functions in Nairobi have done little to trigger action across the baseline. This low level of engagement means that brands that are serious about environmental conservation do not reap the benefits that they should. It would seem that customers do not really care whether a brand is environmentally conscious or not. This environmental concern does not seem to play a role in brand value as it seems to be outgunned by price.
This is strange given that companies continue to go to great lengths to comprise environment as part of their key reasons for existence! There is barely a corporate in Kenya today worth talking about that does not have environmental sustainability in its VMV. For Kenyans, however, this does not seem to be a key consideration in their purchase decisions. Is it that they do not care about the environment or is there a missed opportunity here? Is it therefore beneficial to companies to support environment causes? Will customers in this market ever show preference to brands that environmental conscious. The impact of the changes in the environment is being felt across the country. The middle classes’ disposable income is being decimated month by month by the effects of drought. We really need to relate the environmental changes to the effect on our food prices and resultant economic impact. People are often ready to rally behind sustainable causes. People are ready to embrace brands with courage. Consumers are looking for more than one day participation in Earth Day events – they are looking for movement makers. Getting behind a powerful environmental event is key for brands. What are your company’s values? How can it get behind and align its brand with a growing group of passionate consumers? The challenge lies with how organizations can take advantage of their environment message to win customers.
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The seals are carefully opened and most times the tracking system is hacked in a well coordinated manner
KENYA OIL INDUSTRY STRUGGLES TO SEEK A SOLUTION By Staff Writer
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s The Energy Regulation Commission grapples with fighting fuel adulteration, its decision to stop the night transport of fuel products hit a raw nerve with the transport truck drivers. The action that would have reduced the incidences of oil siphoning along the highway was met with resistance. Our WattsUp team investigated the cause and effect. The truck owners had no problem with this directive, the challenge was with the truck drivers who are deeply entrenched in this vice. When a truck leaves the various depots to the fueling stations where over 70 % of the vice happens. 20 % of all truck parked on the highway between Nairobi and Malaba are known to siphon fuel.
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Even during the day, jerricans are often seen changing hands and one can fuel from jerricans at these stops along the highway. At night these trucks are known to go into hideouts not more than a kilometer away from the highway where there are underground tanks in maize plantations or even homes. The seals are carefully opened and at most times the tracking system is hacked in a wellcoordinated manner. The tracking headquarters believe the truck is still on course on but in actual fact the truck has been diverted into a plantation!
Dumping Adulteration of fuel is such a lucrative business in the country, something that has left many wondering what action the government needs to take to tame the vice. The key factors, as Mr. Kinyua observed, include export dumping which contributes highly to oil smuggling. Dumping refers to offloading fuel meant for export and selling it in the local market. While the export fuelattracts no taxes, it has provided an incentive to illegal traders to set up dens across the country’s highways. The 50 percent margin difference that export fuel attracts is such a sweetener. This is what motivated theban which the truck drivers tried to fight off. Variance Adulteration on the other hand is fuelled by the huge margin variance in taxation between diesel and kerosene. Diesel is highly taxed at 28.83 percent, compared to kerosene which is 7.65 percent. The distribution model adopted for fuel has left the oil marketing companies with no answerability towards their products. Once it leaves the depot, the product belongs to the petroleum dealers. ERC have gone round it now. They are blacklisting the petrol stations found with adulterated fuels. Last year major brands were found with this kind of fuel which left many companies with a damaged brand reputation and negative consequences. For example Vivo Energy stopped selling paraffin in their Petrol stations just to curb that.
Incentive One of the major suggestions was levelling the taxation of kerosene and diesel. The rate is 20 percent lower in Kenya while in Tanzania the price of diesel and kerosene is the same.That has ensured there is no incentive to tamper with fuel in Tanzania. Although taxes added to the kerosene during the 2016 budget were at 7 percent, the diesel prices have gone up with similar margins. The commission has made considerable efforts to stem this vice with the current compliance levels rising to 97 percent of unadulterated fuel stations. Dipsticks A radical suggestion by the ERC is to introduce meters at the point of delivery of the fuel products so that the customer pays exactly what he has received. This is intended to eliminate use of dipsticks that have enabled manipulation of the amount of fuel in the tanks. “This is working well in South Africa and we hope it will be adopted in Kenya soon,” said Mr Kinyua. The WattsUp team has established that the biggest challenge is the cartels in the oil sector that are very hard to dismantle. With the margins and the cash involved, they are greatly entrenched. In fact our investigations have revealed the oil marketers fear for their lives once they try to confront this menace.
“Meters are working well in South Africa. We hope to adopt them in Kenya soon” Edward Kinyua, head of petroleum at ERC
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
ENERGY ADVOCATE FROM THE NORTH The unrelenting lawyer has a big dream to turn Marsabit County, the center for Kenya’s fastest winds into a hotbed of green energy.
Yasmin Abulkadir, winner of judges award
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By Staff Writer asmin Abdulkadir, the winner of Judges’ Award, is a woman wearing many hats. She is a lawyer, an activist and a mentor, all rolled into one. When she’s not pursuing justice at the corridors of the High Court of Kenya where she was admitted as an advocate, she is flexing the extensive experience she gained working with several NGOs and government agencies at a senior management position.
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Currently serving as the county executive committee member in charge of Energy, Mining, Lands, Housing and Urban Development at Marsabit County Ms Abdulkadir knows no horizons. She has taken an initiative to mentor and support girls and also advocate for women’s lands rights in the northern region. Yasmin has interests in the success of matters renewable energy. In 2016, she was nominated for the ‘She Shapes Solar Campaign’ as well as Business Daily’s ‘Top 40 under 40 women’. One highlight of her career was partnering with a German development agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and developing the Marsabit Energy Sector Plan 2015-2025. The plan is a key step in mapping the available
WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS energy resources as well as strategising on providing clean and sustainable energy to power and empower industry and residence in the county. It also enabled the Marsabit County to identify the wind corridor.
We need to join in the fight against environmental degradation right from the household. -Yasmin Abulkadir Mini-grids She also played a part in promoting the development of new medium-sized hybrid mini-grids in rural areas. The hybrid system involves the use of a Photovoltaics, wind and diesel to generate electricity (PV-/Wind-Diesel).These mini-grids will
contribute to cost-effective, reliable and sustainable power supply in rural areas. Therefore, it will foster efficient and sustainable use of power which in turn stimulate and spur local economic growth of the affected towns. Yasmin also plans to be part of a sensitisation project among the local communities. The project will provide information on modern energy-saving jikos, biogas technology and Solar PV. She emphasises that the communities need to be educated about biogas and Solar PV, how they work and the benefits of using the technology. “We need Marsabit County to join the fight against environmental degradation right from the household level,” she says. Commercial electricity Yasmin says her vision is to increase women’s educational opportunities and professional development in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Marsabit County contains a large share of the nation’s renewable energy resources. The county has the highest potential for wind having registered speeds of up to 9.27 m/s in addition to solar, biomass and biogas which makes it a very attractive location for development of Renewable Energy infrastructure. Participation The single largest private investment in Kenya’s history is a KShs.76Billion project, a 300 MW wind farm in Marsabit County. Yasmin’s future plan is to integrate gender roles while making policies and crafting renewable energy programmes. This will ensure both women and youth can equally contribute to the development of renewable energy projects.
Yasmin receives her award
“Taking women’s needs into account in energy interventions and strengthening their leadership and participation in sustainable energy is a great step towards reaching internationally agreed development goals,” says Yasmin. “We plan to support women groups with business, technology and mentorship training and also support them to access finances and market opportunities.” She says that the first Women in Energy forum was a valuable source of information and helped empower and connect the generations of women leaders in STEM.
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WINNER COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
In search of Excellence
Burn Manufacturing Company
After its Jikokoa stoves, Burn Manufacturing has lined up Kuniokoa brand, and as Nduku Muema writes, all this is part of a drive to save Africa’s forests The Jikokoa stove has three times more heat than a conventional Jiko 14
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The smoke from inefficient cooking was killing more people than malaria and HIV combined
WINNER COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
Peter Scott exhibits the cook stove In every practical sense, it is impossible to distinguish Burn Manufacturing, the winner of the Company of the Year 2016, from the story of its founder and chief executive, Peter Scott. The cook stoves that gave the company an early name in the market is the brainchild of Mr Scott, a German whose interaction with Africa started way back in 1990 as a young boy. He had seen the problem of deforestation in the continent and committed himself to finding a solution. That is how his interest in designing cook stoves began back in 1997. Raise capital From 2001 to 2008, Peter was working as a biomass energy consultant for the German government and doing cook stove projects. After 2008, he decided to raise capital, put a dedicated team together and build a modern manufacturing facility in Kenya, sourcing 40 per cent of the raw material locally to make the world’s best cook stoves. His vision was to transform sub Saharan Africa by reducing deforestation, air pollution and the cost of fuel. The cost of buying charcoal or using wood as fuel
was very high at that time in the Kenyan market so he saw the need to reduce cost reduction and the air pollution caused by emissions from charcoal. In addition, the rate of health hazards imposed by traditional cook stoves was very high. The smoke from inefficient cooking was killing more people than malaria and HIV combined.
Health hazards Firewood and charcoal production, he notes, are currently responsible for 52 per cent of all deforestation in SubSaharan Africa. Reports indicate that poor households spend as much as 30 per cent of their income on fuel. “Such high expenditure presents a barrier against escaping poverty,” he notes. “Additionally,” he adds, “many women and children are disproportionately affected by the health hazards imposed by traditional cook stoves.”
At Burn, we challenge the belief that women cannot work in a male-dominated manufacturing industry -Peter Scott
Jikokoa brand Peter began assembling stoves in 2013 then went into full manufacturing, giving rise to the Jikokoa brand. Currently, the Jikokoa stove has impacted more than 1 million people reducing their fuel cost by 37million dollars (Ksh 3.7 billion) and sick days by 54 per cent, in addition to saving 730,000 tonnes of wood. In order to meet the demand, Scott launched a modern stove manufacturing facility in 2014. The solar-powered factory is staffed with 50 per cent women, makes one stove per minute and has the capacity to produce 36,000 stoves per month. WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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WINNER COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD This earned Burn Manufacturing the Ashden Award for Clean Energy for Women and Girls 2015. Peter says that women play big and diverse senior roles in his company, ranging from senior management, marketing and product design. “We have more than 120 employees, half of them being women,” he states. “At Burn, we challenge the belief that women cannot work in the male-dominated manufacturing industry. Women play a vital role in the value chain hence the reason we have set gender and employment targets. Each year we spend between 75,000 to 100,000 dollars (Ksh 7.5 to 10 million) on salaries and benefits for women working in the factory.” Metal fabrication The targets for women in the firm are 50 per cent plus employees, 90 per cent plus in consumer-facing positions (sales and customer care) and 50 per cent in management and factory positions. Currently, the factory is composed of 50 per cent women, atypical of factories working in metal fabrication in Africa. To demonstrate this commitment, Burn Manufacturing, in partnership with the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), invested in a gender case study across the company value chain. ICRW found that Burn is a “very egalitarian enterprise; male and female employees serve in the same positions, whether in the factory production line or as sales activators, they are paid equally for the same work. Male and female employees across a range of positions feel that their opinion and contributions are valued”. Less smoke Burn’s cook stove uses 60 percent less fuel than the ceramic jiko. It has been engineered to burn hot and clean so it produces less smoke. Jiko Okoa produces 65 percent less fine particulate emissions and 63 percent less carbon monoxide emissions. This is through the geometry, material selection and the configuration of the stove. The stove consumes much less fuel and lights much faster than other cooking stoves. Since 2013, consumers have purchased more than 200,000 Jikokoa stoves through commercial channels, translating to 7 million dollars (Ksh 700 million) in gross sales across East Africa with sales primarily in Kenya. Jikokoa has reduced the amount of smoke that people inhale, particularly for women because they are the ones that mostly use the traditional open fire option. The firm is currently working on a new product that will cater for the traditional consumers. The product is Kuniokoa and it is estimated to save up to 58 per cent of wood.
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Mobile platform Burn Manufacturing boasts of a very robust monitoring program through an eco mobile platform which enables them to register their clients warranty and maintain their information in a data base. Therefore, the company is able to conduct surveys and track carbon offsets that their end users are generating. “Not only does Burn provide the best products at an affordable price, but also world-class after-sales service with a network of 47 service stations around the country. The service stations provide support during and after the two year warranty period,” Peter Scott explains.
Cook Stoves
WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
Using waste to cook... and loving it
The idea of using waste to cook is one that Chebet Lesan finds fascinating. The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bright Green Renewable Energy Ltd, a Nairobibased firm, creates eco-friendly fuel using recycled urban waste. For her efforts, she won the Environment Award.
By Staff Writer
while on a tour of Tanzania with friends and students from around the world, under a programme led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The programme comprised of a global network of innovators who design, develop and disseminate low cost
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She picked up on the idea in 2014
technologies in order to improve lives of people living in poverty
She picked up on the idea in 2014 while on a tour of Tanzania with friends and students from around the world, under a programme led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The programme comprised of a global network of innovators who design, develop and disseminate low cost technologies in order to improve lives of people living in poverty. Lesan’s team had been tasked with solving a challenge with the schools’ curriculum in Tanzania. While at it, they were hosted by a family living at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro – a relatively hot and dry place. Over the duration of her six-week stay, Chebet noticed that their hosts were struggling to get fuel to cook basic meals.
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
WINNER: Entreprenuership Award
Scarcity With the high cost of charcoal and scarcity of trees in Kenya, Lesan thought the same knowledge could be applied back home. She took countless drives through Nairobi researching and observing the type of waste available and how it could be converted into fuel. Armed with facts and experience from Tanzania, she pioneered a small venture in 2015 that was run by a single person. Today, her firm has grown to employ 8 individuals. Chebet focused on organic waste and started collecting heaps of it. She recalls how people around her including family did not understand what she was doing and some even thought that she was going insane. This did not deter her. Her next challenge was securing a machine to compress and convert the organic waste into fuel. They were relatively expensive for a start-up. Undeterred, she turned to local artisans from Kariobangi in Nairobi to assemble a machine for her. Breakthrough As expected, the first machines kept failing but Lesan always encouraged the artisans to keep trying until a breakthrough came in January 2016 when 18
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Chebet displays compressed organic waste the machine started working. She finally launched her product into the market in October 2016. Her key clients are in the hospitality industry as more hotels strive to become eco-friendly. Lesan’s efforts have earned her the Queen’s Young Leader Award, which she is due to receive later in the year. The award recognises and celebrates exceptional people aged 18-29 from the Commonwealth countries who are taking the lead in their communities and using their skills to transform lives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from the University of Nairobi and is a Mandela Washington Fellow.
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From what they had learnt in an earlier training with International Development Network, the visiting students showed the family how to convert maize stalks into fuel through a process
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Living on agricultural land, the family had just finished harvesting maize and there were stalks strewn all over the homestead. From what they had learnt in an earlier training with International Development Network, the visiting students showed the family how to convert maize stalks into fuel through a process of stalk compression and carbonisation.
of stalk compression and carbonisation
WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
Innovator with a keen eye on farmers
Grace Rie WINNER: Innovation Award WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS The idea of building biogas digesters and supplying biogas appliances came from a client. At that time she was working as an office administrator at Kenya Puxin Renewable Energy Ltd. She decided to research on the idea and came up with a creative project of building biogas digesters in rural areas.
Grace working with her partners on a project
By Staff Writer
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race Rie, is the operations manager at Gramax Investments, and winner of the Innovation Award 2016. She began her venture by importing biogas appliances. In the process she interacted with different companies in the sector that trained her to build biogas digesters. Following her win, she is planning to meet, train and sensitise many women groups who do farming. Her entry target is Kiserian, in Kajiado County, before expanding to other counties. Ms Rie aims to train women and encourage them to join the biogas sector where women are currently underrepresented. Balance At the award ceremony, she inspired many women when she came to pick the award with her five-month-old son. We asked how she managed to balance work and family, she said: “It is not easy but I always believe that when you have the will power to achieve something, nothing can stop you,� she replied.
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
She recalls struggling to sit upright with agonising back pain as a new mother holding her two- monthold son when applying for the awards. That was just two hours to the application deadline but she not only managed to apply, she won. One of key innovations is the use of local materials that now covers over 70% of our product. Our quality has improved tremendously with banks now loaning our customers to help them acquire the Bio-digesters
Bias Gender discrimination & bias, and late payments by clients have been her greatest challenges. She admits that in some cases her ability has been undermined by clients because of being a woman in a male dominated field. Some of the strategic partnerships that she has had in her projects are with the Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (KENFAP) and Kenya Biogas Program. The two have had great impact on small farmers and Grace biogas producers. receiving her award with her son Grace hopes to see more women participating in the sector and also to bring more women on board in her biogas technology project. WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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Starehe Girls’ Centre Students
The Young Ambassadors For Change 22
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Starehe Girls’ Centre bets on empowering its students to cut power bills by 20 percent
By Chebiwott Bartenge Starehe Girls’ Centre won the Zayed Future Energy Prize 2017 in the Global High Schools category. The school was recognised for having proposed a project to implement a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system to supplement its electricity supply. The PV system, once operational, will reduce Starehe’s annual utilities bill by 20 percent. The savings will be used to enroll an additional 10 girls in the next academic year. Nawal Al-Hosany, the director of Zayed Future Energy Prize, said that they were impressed by the institution for their proposal’s vision and the legacy it will leave for future students. “Empowering young people is key to delivering a sustainable future. We welcome Starehe Girls’ to our community and hope it will act as a benchmark for others in the Africa region to think and act sustainably,” he remarked. Starehe Girls’ project co-ordinator, Wilkista Onyango, said that they are not too young to be involved in raising local and global awareness on how to curb global warming. “We are young ambassadors for change in the world through creative thinking and implementing a clean energy development project,” she said. The project entails installation of 25KW photovoltaic rooftop system, four solar water heaters and ten solar powered street lights. Kiambu isn’t in constant sunshine, but the sunexposure can sustain the system. The students have also set out to start ‘The Cool Green Campaign’ which aims to reach out to other high schools in Kenya and create awareness of renewable energy.
Starehe girls students Biggest Attraction In June last year, Wilkista Onyango, an alumni of the school, together with her friend Norah Magero found out about the Zayed award and introduced it to the school.The biggest attraction was that it had been won in Somaliland in the year 2016. This continues to prove the unending possibilities of the world. Zayed Future Energy Prize is an annual award that celebrates achievements that reflect impact, innovation, long term vision and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability. Since its inception, the award has created a growing community that is committed to finding solutions to challenges in energy security, environment and climate change. It was launched in 2008, as part of the UAE leadership’s commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative. The award ceremony was held on January 16th 2017 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The PV system, once operational, will reduce Starehe’s annual utilities bill by 20 percent. The savings will be used to enroll an additional 10 girls in the next academic year WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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Marian Muthui receives the community leadership award
UNLEASHING GIRL POWER By Staff Writer
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arian Muthui, a graduate mechanical engineer from the University of Nairobi, has already created for herself a leadership position at the age of 26 years. She is the founder of the Mekatilili Program, named after Mekatilili wa Menza, a Giriama female warrior famed for her courage in fighting colonialists. The program facilitates workshops in various secondary schools in Kenya using a progressive curriculum. She was named the 2016 Women in Energy winner, Community Leadership category.
Some of Marians’ students in the Mekatilili program 24
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Marian teaches the girls about design thinking process to encourage them to come up with prototypes to create viable solutions
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
Mekatilili program
founded by Marian Muthui holds
Workshops in various secondary schools in Kenya using a
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progressive curriculum
It all started from a newspaper article Marian read in 2016. She was disappointed that manufacturing accounts for only 10 percent of Kenya’s GDP yet for an industrialising economy, manufacturing should be a driving force. Marian got interested to find out why manufacturing was lagging behind. On researching she realised that there was a need for local sustainable energy technology solutions. She then came up with the Mekatilili Program to bridge the gap. The aim of the program is to spur research, expose young girls to the world of science and foster human-centered design and engineering in an attempt to increase the representation of women in the field. Marian encourages the girls to come up with prototypes to create viable solutions. Currently the program has worked with close to 100 girls and has plans to reach out to more than 500 by end of 2017. She has also partnered with another winner, Martha Wakoli, to publish a magazine called Queengineers that will showcase success stories of women making it in engineering from across the world. Their first issue of the magazine was launched in December 2016 and the two partners are looking forward to reaching out to more ladies through the publication. WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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WOMEN IN ENERGY
A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE OF ITS KIND
Elana Laichena, founder Acacia Innovation Despite selling its eco-friendly products in the market at low prices, Acacia Innovation has broken even in a fairly short time, writes Chebiwott Bartenge 26
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WOMEN IN ENERGY The use of sustainable energy to cut down on cost and promote a clean environment is becoming increasingly popular in Kenya. One product at the forefront of this transition is Kuni Safi by Acacia Innovations. These are briquettes made from sugarcane waste. Compared to other fuel sources like firewood and charcoal, Kuni Safi briquettes are cheaper and eco-friendly. They are of high quality too. They burn longer because they produce a non-luminous flame that has more heat than firewood or charcoal. These briquettes are also reliable and efficient throughout the seasons and do not pose any health risks to users because they are smokeless. “Our product is more efficient than firewood. A small quantity of our briquettes can sustain what so a big bundle of firewood would. Kuni Safi can also be adapted immediately to an existing firewood boiler with no modifications whatsoever. The briquettes can also be used efficiently in firewood or biomass hot water heaters,” says Elana Laichana, one of the brains behind Kuni Safi.
Wastes
Environmentally, the product has helped sugar factories in Western Kenya dispose their wastes properly. Additionally, Kuni Safi aids afforestation as every tonne of it saves about 25 trees. It also emits clean smoke
that also makes a difference in mitigating climate change. The briquettes cost about Ksh 18,000 per tonne, inclusive of delivery around Nairobi. The company also offers bulk discounts to factories and clients purchasing 50 tonnes and above. Elana emphasises the use of small quantities in order to avoid wastage.
The briquettes produce a non-luminous flame that has more heat than both firewood and charcoal While most social enterprises depend on donors, Acacia Innovations is self-funded and is able to break even. Being a selffunded project, this enables them to focus more on the customers unlike rival enterprises that have donors dictating terms.
Demand
Acacia Innovations also focuses more on sales and marketing rather than production. They create demand by educating the public through product demonstration and training of users who are usually skeptical at the beginning. The
firm also spends time with each customer to show them how their product works before they sell to them. So far, they have worked with 32 customers and they also make delivery services to their customers. The enterprise is owned by Elana Laichena and her husband Mark Laichena. Elana, originally from the USA, relocated to Kenya about one and half years ago to join her husband. She says, “Immediately after moving here, I saw the endless opportunities that the country has and with my interest in sustainable energy, I explored the possible openings.”
Experience
Elana has over five years of experience in the renewable energy sector in Kenya and in the United States. Previously, she served as director of sales and operations at GreenChar Solutions, a social enterprise which manufactures and retails charcoal briquettes. She also gained experience as program manager of Here Comes Solar, a solar energy start-up based in New York City. Elana holds a Master of Science degree from Pratt Institute and a B.A. from the New School University in New York City. She is also very passionate about fighting deforestation and fuel unavailability.
“A little quantity of our briquettes can sustain what so much firewood would.”Elana Laichena, founder, Acacia Innovation WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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COUNTY FOCUS
KIAMBU
GOING GREEN AFTER AN ENERGY AUDIT Engineer Njeri Mburu in her office
K
iambu County Government is in the process of formulating and adopting a renewable energy policy. The policy, supported by Kenya Association of Manufacturers, is in alignment with the country’s renewable energy policy. In the process to come up with the policy, the county has assessed what energy its residents and firms consume, and how they can switch from conventional to renewable energy.
As Kenya’s industrial power base, Kiambu County is taking early steps to develop its renewable resources to meet energy demand By Nduku Muema
Biogas plant Engineer Njeri Mburu, the county’s executive committee member for roads, transport, public works and utilities says they have identified gaps and opportunities. “We tabulated the data and have established who is using what and what projects to start in order to build capacity and switch to renewable energy,” Eng. Njeri says. One of the main projects is to start a biogas plant. The county is partnering with slaughter owners, financiers and donors to start a biogas plant.
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“The county has four private slaughter houses in Dagoretti which produce waste that is currently polluting the environment. Our plan is to partner with them; they give us the waste, we provide the land and set up a biogas plant,” says Ms Njeri. “We expect to produce enough energy to feed to the national grid and generate revenue that will be shared among the county and partners.” Eng. Njeri says the county hopes to create revenue as well as help save the environment, adding that at the individual level; they are encouraging small-scale farmers to use biogas instead of firewood and charcoal.
COUNTY FOCUS Solar lanterns Apart from setting up the biogas plant, the county also plans to promote solar energy projects. The policy, for instance, states that all public hospitals in the county should drop conventional water heating for solar water heating. In partnership with UN-Habitat, the county is also set to train women how to make solar lanterns.
“The plan is to train women and the youth how to make solar lanterns that they can sell to make money. We are currently sensitising our residents about the need to use solar energy, getting them receptive and creating demand for the solar lanterns that the women and youth will be trained to make,” states the engineer. Biashara Fund She adds that the trained women and youth will get access to Biashara Fund to start small enterprises. Biashara Fund is an initiative of Kiambu County where individuals with convincing small scale business plans get funded. The county also has plans to start a wind energy firm at Ndeiya. Talks with the national government are underway for the mass production of wind energy, with the aim to shift from conventional to renewable energy.
KIAMBU
oversees activities in Nairobi and its neighbouring counties. On efforts to conserve energy at their offices, the county has adopted two energy saving recommendations from UN-Habitat. Eng. Njeri explains that UN-Habitat recommended that the county offices change from using desktops to laptops and this is being implemented. “They also suggested that we light streets with energy saving LED bulbs instead of conventional ones. The Energy PS has promised to supply us with LED bulbs that consume less energy without compromising the amount of light,” states the CEC.
World Bank Kiambu has also benefited from the Nairobi Metropolitan Services Improvement Project (NAMSIP), a World Bank project that
“We expect to produce enough energy to feed the national grid and generate revenue that will be shared among the county and partners.”
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CONSUMER WATCH
PLEASE TURN IT OFF - NO STANDBY MODE!
By Chebiwott Bartenge
A significant part of the electricity bills that households have to grapple with are as a result of electricity energy leakage that happens while devices are not in use. Surprising as it may seems, a typical microwave oven consumes more electricity powering its digital clock than it does heating food. While heating food may require more than 100 times the power of running the clock, most microwave ovens stand idle—in “standby” mode—more than 99 percent of the time. It is not the microwaves alone: many other devices, such as television, DVD players, stereos and computers also spend much of their time in standby mode, collectively 30
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consuming a huge amount of energy. Moves are being made around the world to reduce this unnecessary power consumption, called standby power. Standby power, alias “vampire power” or leaking electricity, is the energy consumed while devices are not in use. Devices on standby mode take up more energy than when in use, consequently raising the electricity bills.
CONSUMER WATCH
Idling Wastefully The convenience of being able to switch on your television from the sofa using a remote control has a cost since some circuits in the television must remain active, watching for signals from the remote control. Initiatives to stop this energy waste have started in the State of California. Standby power accounts for upto 10% of the total residential electricity consumption annually. According to America’s Department of Energy, national residential electricity consumption in 2004 was 1.29Billion megawatt hours (MWh). The wasted energy, in other words, is equivalent to the output of 18 typical power stations. No load A growing proportion of new household devices have more efficient power utilisation. Unlike oldfashioned, chunky power supplies, which contain iron cores surrounded by windings of copper wire, these new power supplies use switch mode technology to convert mains electricity to the low voltages used to power small devices. With the addition of extra circuitry they reduce consumption to a fraction of a watt in both standby and no load mode (when power supply is plugged in, but nothing is attached to it).This issue should be considered keenly due to obvious reasons and others. Manufacturers rarely have the motive to make devices with low standby power consumption. Creating awareness to consumers will reduce their energy consumption and save them from paying excessive power bills. This reduction will also cut down carbon-dioxide emissions by nearly half having an effect on global warming. Power hungry Regulators around the world are putting in rules that stimulate manufacturers to produce devices which are less power hungry. Reducing unnecessary power consumption is not just a matter for device-makers and regulators. Consumers can do their bit by unplugging infrequently used devices or switching them off at the mains altogether. Looking for energy-efficiency logos when buying new equipment, unplugging chargers and power supplies when they are not in use rather than just letting them idly standby are simple measures that consumers can take to save energy. Costly upgrades Bringing this to an abrupt stop promotes a healthier environment by reducing emissions. It is also economically beneficial to the consumers because it lowers their bills and keeps the appliances in good condition.
The convenience of being able to switch on your television from the sofa using a remote control has a cost.
It is important to conserve energy because the natural resources that produce electric power are being depleted faster than they can regenerate. Energy conservation in turn conserves the natural resources, which include coal, water and oil and also lowers the overall cost of supplying to the consumer. If conservation of electric energy is realised, power plants around the country will go through less costly upgrades as well. With technology evolving fast, saving electricity will pave way for electrical vehicles to function better. Encouraging green businesses within the country is also important as businesses will turn towards generating their own power through wind, solar and other green ways. If taken seriously, there will be less standby power consumption, cutting down both the consumer’s and the country’s investments cost.
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CORPORATE NEWS
EFFICIENT BULBS TO CUT POWER BILLS Kenya Power is targeting low income households in the second phase of the free bulb initiative rolled out seven years ago By Nduku Muema
Kenya Power has entered its second phase of the changing bulbs initiative. The initiative will involve exchange of three million incandescent bulbs with an equivalent number of energysaving ones. So far, the second phase that kicked off in December has seen close to 700,000 bulbs exchanged. In the first phase in 2009/2010, the company oversaw a successful exchange of 1.5 million bulbs. The firm says the objective of the initiative is to give clients quality for what they buy as well as minimise energy wastage and channel the saved energy elsewhere. An inefficient bulb produces 90 percent heat and 10 percent light; very much unlike an efficient one that produces more light and less heat. “Energy production is very expensive. Saving energy is cheaper than generating more. When our clients minimise wastage, we use the saved energy to connect more people to the grid, impacting on lives and translating to more sales for the company,� says Margaret Kanini, the Chief Engineer, Demand Side Management and Metering Solutions.
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Energy Saving Bulb
Kenya Power has engaged the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to provide guidelines on how to dispose of the collected incandescent bulbs
CORPORATE NEWS
Middle class Eng. Kanini says that the first exercise was successful as it led not only to major savings of power for the firm and its clients but also had a big impact on mitigating climate change. A lot of awareness was created and most of our clients are now ‘energy-conscious’, she told WattsUp Magazine. She added, “We targeted the middle class and the reception was very positive. This led to 40 MW savings on peak demand. On mitigating climate change, there was a reduction of 55,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere.” Energy saving Eng. Kanini notes that the company experienced a few challenges during the first initiative as their staff had to juggle between their normal work and distribution of the energy saving bulbs, with some meter reading tasks being put on hold. “We also had a few integrity issues during the distribution but we dealt with it sternly,” she said.
Energy production is very expensive; saving energy is cheaper than generating more -Margaret Kanini, the Chief Engineer, Kenya Power
For the second phase, KPLC is targeting low-income class and the clients in the rural areas. Clean development Kenya Power has engaged the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to provide guidelines on how to dispose of the collected incandescent bulbs. Currently, the bulbs are in KPLC stores. On the basis of the initiative, KPLC has registered for the Clean Development Mechanism. “We registered in December 2012 and are now in the implementation stage, awaiting verification. The UN accepted our project as having an impact on mitigating climate change,” says Margaret. Stima loans A consumer using efficient bulbs can save 80 per cent of their lighting bills. The project, Scaling up Energy Access, has also been witnessed in two other components. These are Stima Loans - to clients who cannot afford to pay for connection fee upfront, and Transformer Densification. Transformer densification is maximization of transformers by connecting all potential customers and bringing more transformers along the transmission lines.
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VIEW By Robert Mahenia
LIFE BEYOND THE MEGA PROJECT There must be a wellcoordinated flow of information to workers, suppliers and the community during mega projects to enable them to plan for a stable post construction period.
T
he country has witnessed an upsurge of mega projects in various parts of the country stretching from Kwale’s mining sites to Turkana’s oil fields.
These projects are being undertaken mainly through public private partnership or through concession loans. Such projects command large capital outlay particularly in the construction period. To facilitate construction, huge equipment and machinery are shipped into the country. The construction period is the most noticeable occurrence in a project cycle to the local communities since it is labour intensive and may absorb hundreds to thousands of unskilled labour. From a layman perspective, there is an expectation that the labour intensity will last throughout the project’s lifetime. There needs to be a good flow of detailed information from the project company, particularly to the workers, suppliers of local goods and service to enable them to make long term decisions.
Standard Gauge Railway construction 34
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VIEW POINT
Dam for water storage/distribution
One characteristic of big projects is that they tend to be situated or traverse remote rural areas which lack basic facilities like housing. Their commencement tends to herald a rise in both rural to rural and urban to rural migrations, creating a strain on the basic facilities available. Speculative investments Quickprofit seekers set up structures with the intention of making quick returns. Price of land skyrockets and entrepreneurs seek loan facilities to expand their businesses in the projects locations. Workers are well remunerated including semi-skilled and unskilled labour. Prices of goods and services escalate due to an imbalance of demand and supply. Speculative investment is at an all time high and all fundamental of investment are ignored since perception rather than factual analysis becomes the guiding factor. Windfall With such a windfall life starts afresh with no sense of future saving. There is harmony at home since the domestic budget amounts to a minimal fraction of the monthly wages. Where people are unable to make frequent commutes back home, the money is remitted to the families left behind.
Pipeline construction
As the project nears completion, reality soon begins to sink in that most of the haphazard investments are not sustainable in the post construction period
With time, reality begins to sink in as the project nears completion. Shedding off of small groups of labourers since the project no longer requires their services signals the beginning of the end of the construction phase. The newly jobless start idling within the precincts of shopping centres adjacent to the project site and in most instances hoping for a recall that never comes. The economy of affection sets in where the layoffs start depending on their colleagues whose contracts are still running for small stipends.
Construction site WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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VIEW POINT
Redundancy Tenants start defaulting as families which were previously well catered for start experiencing conflicts attributable to a lack of a steady income, which had accustomed them to a different lifestyle.
Irrelevant Projects similar to the SGR construction may not be undertaken in another 100 years and the skills the local labourers have acquired in the construction period could be rendered irrelevant.
Completion of the construction stage marks a significant shift from the labour intensive phase to highly mechanised operations. The maintenance phase of the project also has minimal need for manual intervention. Skills that were relevant now become redundant.
Were such a project to be extended to a different part of the country, political inclinations would dictate hiring of local labourers over migration of labourers from other areas.
The high demand for goods and services wanes. Investors who had put up massive permanent dwelling units start experiencing low to no demand at all and are left with loans they are not able to service. Those who had acquired houses for speculative purposes are left staring at a bleak future.
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A project company can however play a critical role in mitigating some of these negative consequences associated with post-construction phase. The company may sponsor training not necessarily related to the project but where the skills acquired can be applied in other ventures or enterprises. These could be skills in carpentry, welding, masonry, catering, tailoring.
Completion of construction stage marks a significant shift from the labour intensive phase to highly mechanised operations and the maintenance phase of the project which has minimal need for manual intervention.
In the recent past it was alleged that the fluorspar plant in the Rift Valley had to close shop due to dipping international prices. The closure had a profound negative impact on the local community’s source of livelihood. The entrepreneurs in Turkana who had acquired vehicles anticipating servicing the Tullow’s oilfields felt the impact of low oil prices in the year 2015 and 2016 where Tullow scaled down the exploratory and development works so as to mitigate the decline in international prices.
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‘‘
Diminished returns The mining industry experiences a boom and bust cycle due to international pricing of minerals. Consequently the goods and service providers experience diminished returns during times of low commodity prices.
Disposal Additionally, project developers operate a large fleet of vehicles. The disposal of assets and equipment after construction phase or closure of a project requires close scrutiny by the relevant authorities. Lack of a detailed plan on disposal of project assets such as motors may harm the sales of local car dealers for many years. Though the enactment of the Local Content Bill may offer a solution to projects in the extractive industry in terms of planned labour, goods and service provisions it is silent on local content requirements for investors in other industries such as transport. Additionally the Bill is detailed on absorption of goods and services during the project life but lacks post-construction transition strategy.
TURNING GREEN
‘‘
By Staff Writer
Two Rivers Mall
By clinching the Two Rivers solar project, Astonfield has automatically booked an early footprint in the East African market
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GIVING KENYA’S ICONIC MALL A GREEN TOUCH
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TURNING GREEN
ls
ane P r la
So
When Kenya’s iconic mall, Two Rivers, opened its doors to the public last month, there was an unsung hero somewhere in its shadows. Astonfield Solar Company, a firm that installs industrial and commercial solar power was waiting in the wings, having spotted an opportunity. By Astonfield’s calculations, the Two Rivers Mall project, the largest in Eastern Africa, has a capacity to produce approximately 1.28 MW power. The firm intends to connect the shopping mall with advanced solar technology which will concurrently be complimented by power from KPLC.
Deficit Under its Indian owners, the company has been able to grow and expand its services in different regions including SubSaharan Africa. Here in Kenya, it has commissioned a number of solar projects including Kaysalt, Doshi Group, InsteelSafal Group and Two Rivers. Astonfield had its work at the Two Rivers project already cut out. The development is expected to buy power in bulk and distribute it to its tenants. With a solar system in place, it will offer the tenants a relief in power cost as the installed system automatically picks the solar power in priority bases during the day and when there is low energy generation due to cloud cover then the grid electric power patches up any deficit.
Storage This will enable Two Rivers Mall to cut its energy bill by 30 percent as solar power takes preference during the day. Their solar system has no storage capacity which is what makes the solar power cheaper as storage increases cost by more 60 percent of any installation. Over 150 solar panels have been installed, with a smart system that integrates the PV power churned by the system with that of the grid. The system quickly detects any malfunctions as a result of low power production and a panel can be replaced without interfering with the rest. Seamless Astonfield seamlessly integrates its solar systems with grid and diesel generator thereby optimising the solar energy generation to meet the demand. The mall project has put the company on the regional map, being one of its kind with respect to innovative technology, green energy and power efficiency. This shopping mall has been the talk of the city since its initial predicted launch back in September 2016. It was launched on February 14th 2017 and boasts of 207 shops, a three-star and a five-star hotel, apartments and advanced infrastructure. 38
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SUMMER TIME
By Tecla Wainoe
Can’t we Enjoy our Summer without high Energy Costs? It’s no secret that the atmosphere in Kenya has changed a lot in the last few months. Everything in Kenya is quite heated at the moment. There’s a strange energy all over the placefrom the politics to the economy and even the weather. Oh Lord, don’t get me started with that solar! I’m not going to write about Kenya. No. I love my country but I don’t think my level of patriotism, if at all what I feel for my motherland can be considered that, has gotten to those heights. I’m however more intrigued by the E-N-E-R-G-Y - you know the potential, kinetic and solar type. Yes, that energy! Scientifically there are very many forms of energy, from the simplest, potential, to the most destructive, nuclear. Equator And while many explore the numerous possible ways of transforming energy, sometimes at the expense of poor earthlings’ health, I sit and wonder what happened to exploration of clean energy. I won’t lie. I love the summer more than winter. Kenya is at the equator and we only learn about these seasons in Geography or for the most of us in movies, but let a girl shine. So yes I love summer. I love the heat during summer. I love the comfort that comes with the infinite dressing and outdoor options on the sunny days. Rationing The good thing about being at the equator is that it’s summer time almost all year round which means we have unlimited solar energy. But with all the heat a little breeze comes in handy which by the way is plenty in Kenya too. We are blessed to have just enough wind energy; constructive wind energy. What worries me is the drying up of the dams and the looming power rationing. The cost of fuel has also gone up; driving up the cost of electrical power, yet this is summer time. Can’t we just enjoy the prolonged summer time without increase rationing?
We only learn about seasons in geography or movies
With the valuable resource of solar energy in our country, why are we still discussing half full dams? Why are we still using expensive thermal energy? Clean Energy There are endless ways of converting solar and wind energy into useful forms. The advantages are countless since it is clean energy. This is just a simple scenario of how much the untapped clean energy can do. If you think of a scenario where we use solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy to produce power instead of hydro-energy we would be in a better place in terms of energy now wouldn’t we? We wouldn’t have to worry about the fuel consumption of the new trains right? We wouldn’t be worried sick about the fluctuating fuel prices. Yeah I know... that’s just how life is...it presents numerous possibilities that we leave unexploited! For now let us enjoy the holidays while we wait for the ‘improved’ power bills.
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
QUEEN OF GREEN ENERGY By Staff Writer
H
elen Odegi quit her job in the
h hdhdgdgdhhv
pharmaceutical industry to place a bet
on the energy sector. Years later, the advocate for Women in Energy has no regrets. Her hat is already bedecked with all manner of feathers, a direct reward for her persistent desire to make a positive impact. She is a board member in the energy sector of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), a senior manager at Premium Petroleum Company Limited and a volunteer trainer of women in green energy. She talked to our team:
{Helen Odegi, Board Member KEPSA} To who or what do you owe this great victory? I owe this award to my mother, Florence and my sister, Dorcas. Those two have stood by me. My mother is not in the technical field but she listens and gives me sound advice. My sister is in the finance and has always given me advice from all angles, especially on matters paper work. Describe your journey into the energy sector I remember when I was graduating in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Kenyatta University. The Vice Chancellor stated, “You have been given
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the power to read.” I did not understand that statement until some years later when I landed a job as a sales representative at Dalbit Petroleum in Nairobi, Bujumbura and Burundi. My interest in the energy sector began and after two years, I came back to Kenya and my interest grew as I moved up the ladder in the sector. In 2014, I started gaining special interest in green energy and found my purpose. In 2015, I was trained by the World Bank in a program called Energy Sector Strategies in Greening the Economy. After the training, I tried applying for a job but I was not successful. Then I made a choice to be the change that I wanted. I registered
my company, Skylon Global, and started providing training on renewable energy, mostly on solar installations. Receiving this award is a validation that I am making an impact. I am looking forward to creating more impact. How do you manage to play so many roles in representing women in the energy sector? Consistency… I once read somewhere that when one dies, nobody remembers what they owned. One is only remembered by the impact they made while alive. I do not measure my success in terms of tangible
WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
Winner, philanthropy category award
What are the key highlights of your career? Winning this award is one of them. Secondly, quitting my pharmaceutical job to get into the energy sector is one of the best decisions of my life. Do you think women are getting equal opportunities in the energy sector as their male counterparts? No. Our cultures have put women in a position where they have to work twice as hard to prove that they can perform so as to be given opportunities. Women also lack exposure and information. Any obstacles you have encountered so far in your journey? Yes. There are times that I have been undermined as I install solar panels. Capacity building and lack of access to finances as a business lady has been an obstacle too. Lastly, I do a lot of mentorship but I do not have anyone mentoring me to grow.
Any plans to push forward the gender issue in the energy sector after this win? The win validates my efforts and has encouraged me to come up with a new strategy. I plan to train and urge the trainees to train others so the network grows, creating a bigger impact. What is your advice to young men and women who wish to pursue energy as a career? They should be open-minded and creative. Do not be afraid to take risks. Look at the gaps in the system and think of a solution. Young people should develop a culture of walking around with a pen and notebook to put down ideas and follow them up. Strive to influence policies too; you are never too young to make a change. What was your take about the first ever woman in energy forum? This forum came at the best time when women are being included in everything and the world is trying to accomplish Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality. I believe this forum is going to make a lasting impact and awareness, this is how empowerment begins.
Do you have any plans to defend your title again? Yes, I must defend my award and also target other categories. Actually I do have a strategy and I have a target of at least training 25 women per month.I am also planning to scale up by diversifying into other counties and reach out to more women to create a lasting impact.
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Our Cultures have put women where they have to work twice as hard to prove that they can perform so as to be given opportunities
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things, but the various lives that I touch and impact.
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INNOVATION
Battery Storage Facility
When the sun goes down and wind stops blowing, solar panels stop generating and wind turbines stop turning.
WILL BATTERIES SORT OUT CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY CHALLENGES?
B
atteries and other energy storage energy. When the sun goes down and wind technologies are ready to solve the stops blowing, solar panels stop generating problem of variability of renewable and wind turbines stop turning. energy. Kenya is a vast country with a lot of sunny spells. However, despite laws being put Demand in place there is still a very low penetration of There have been remarkable improvements battery storage of energy either through solar in that area in terms of storage the battery or other sources. The country is undergoing storage technology is getting better and numerous challenges in providing adequate better with prices coming down considerably. power and at an affordable price. Hence the We will see an explosion of storage battery use of the sun as an energy solutions for customers provider is yet to be embraced The price of solar using solar especially in fully. residential and office systems, storage and parks. These market in Still, critics have mentioned Kenya have not been that the price of solar systems, pricing as the biggest tapped fully and we storage and pricing as the do expect in the next biggest determinant to the determinant to the five years more than penetration of a battery 30MW will be stored in storage in the country. penetration of a battery batteries. However constant incremental improvements have been done storage in the country. Peaker replacements on the prices of solar globally The opportunity lies and other renewable products that have in peaker replacements in areas especially ensured that we have low prices going forward. where power is drained very fast these The other argument that has been leveled in the batteries can provide cushion to perennial discussion is on the variability of the renewable problem of overloading the system and
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transformers. Many large consumers will move to system shortly. Network referral and smooth demand peaks This lithium batteries can also help in Network deferral where they boost the network delaying the investment in upgrading the system. The Batteries will also help the large number of consumers and businesses to smooth out their demand peaks to keep their total demand purchased from the grid to below the levels which would make them incur capacity charges. Spinning reserve The storage facilities will also help provide ancillary services to customers by providing ‘spinning reserve’ which is good and maintains the quality of electricity supply which is provided mainly by diesel generators. Diesel operated micro grids of medium scale do not need building of new lines for connectivity as they can use the batteries instead of investing in interconnection.
SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS
IN-VITRO LABORATORY TO BOOST ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION EFFORTS
By Staff Writer
‘‘
“This project will
train farmers and schools on the
development and
K
enya’s dry land areas are set to benefit in agro-forestry resources once an In-Vitro multiplication laboratory for Mukau tree is set up at Kamburu area in Machakos County. The facility will facilitate production of thousands of seedlings annually of the valuable commercial tree which performs well in dry areas. KenGen Foundation and Better Globe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of the highly scientific facility known as the mahogany of the dry land, the Mukau tree, botanically known as melia volkensii takes between 15 to 20 years to mature and produces first class hard wood timber. Its propagation among rural households in arid and semi-arid areas will bring development of profitable and sustainable commercial forestry enterprises in these areas. KAMBURU The in-vitro laboratory will be set-up on KenGen’s 40 hectares of land near Kamburu power station which will be leased to Better Globe Forestry through the company’s corporate social responsibility wing, KenGen Foundation. The project will be developed in two phases, starting with a laboratory, a trial farm for framers, offices, a green-house nursery and an educational exchange program. The second phase will involve the development of a log yard, a saw mill, workshops and fuel stations, a timber processing industry and warehouses. This will be geared towards processing timber bought from households engaged in Melia Volkensii plantations. TRAIN FARMERS “This project will train farmers and schools on the development and application of best practices in respect to growing of this useful commercial dry land tree” said Eng Mugo. He said the facility will also enhance capacity building and exchange of academic knowledge between project partners and educational institutions.
application of best practices in respect to growing of this useful commercial dry land tree”
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Seedlings in in-vitro lab
said Eng. Mugo.
In partnering in this project, the company aims at contributing to climate change mitigation by promoting tree planting through agro-forestry and tree plantations. The multiplication facility and planned timber processing industry will enhance participation of rural households in commercial forestry, as a complementary income generation activity. The project which has a high commercial value for thousands of households in rural areas who never dreamt of growing a commercially viable tree in their land The Melia Volkensii in-vitro multiplication facility is a project run by Better Globe Forestry in collaboration with the University of Ghent in Belgium, the University of Nairobi, and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). The project is funded by the Belgian Flemish Government. Already the Better Globe Forestry is partnering with KenGen Foundation to champion environment conservation in Kitui, Embu and Machakos counties through the Green Initiative Challenge project which targets schools. WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
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WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS
THE YOUNG MENTOR-IN-CHIEF She is passionate about transforming the energy sector by mentoring secondary school girls in Kenya. She won the 2016 Power Gaga Award, a prize open to women under the age of 30 who have made a lasting mark in the energy sector. Martha Wakoli is not your average young woman. By Staff Writer
Martha Wakoli, receives Power Gaga award 44
WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS A lot of what Martha does has to do with what she has come up against in life. As an intern at Mumias Sugar Company, she gained experience in generating AC power from a renewable source and the maintenance of distribution and transmission systems. This same experience informed her research topic in fifth year at the university.
Through the programme, Wakoli has reached 10 secondary schools (both boys and girls) as an ambassador and she hopes to reach more this year.
After graduation, Wakoli landed her first job with Rift Valley Railways, a position that took her outside of Nairobi to rural Kenya where she supervised transportation of cargo. “While working, I noticed many loopholes in the energy sector and the urge to do something was overwhelming. That is why I quit my job to go work as a graduate intern at Virunga Power with a hope to find solutions to some of the challenges I observed in the energy sector,” she says. As an intern. Martha got a chance to participate in a World Bank competition aimed at eradicating poverty. “With my working experience, I submitted my application, with a report detailing how to increase energy access in the rural areas,” she recounted. “That won me an award and with the recognition that came with the win, an organisation called Akili Dada got in touch. ‘‘They asked if I was willing to join their Secondary School Mentorship Programme – a challenge I took up with gusto.” Through the programme, Wakoli has reached 10 secondary schools (both girls and boys) as an ambassador and she hopes to reach more this year. To reach out to more young women, she has just launched a free online publication/magazine called ‘Queengineers’. The publication celebrates women in engineering with the hope of demystifying the field and encouraging more girls to join the profession.
Virunga power station staff
Martha says that the publication hopes to address one critical challenge to mentoring – a shortage of visible women role models in the energy sector. The publication also subtly sets out to change the internalised social mindset of the younger generation that only boys are meant to fix things while girls are meant to take care of people. Martha Wakoli, who looks up to her parents and family for inspiration, urges young ladies to look beyond the search for money and fame to impacting communities and lives of people around them.
They asked if I was willing to join their Secondary School Mentorship Programme – a challenge I took up Appreciation Speech
with gusto
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ENERGY EFFECIENCY ; Turning Employees Into Energy Ambassadors
E
nergy bills form a significant part of an organisation’s expenditure. Employers have an opportunity to reduce these costs by converting their employees into becoming energy ambassadors. Many organisations are grappling with high bills and are having a hard time implementing energy efficiency programmes. While technology plays a big role in bringing down the energy cost, employee behavior must play an active role . Installing more efficient equipment is often at the forefront of the engineers mind when it comes to driving down energy consumption, but even the most energyefficient kit still requires human involvement.
Interventions which influence occupant behavior hold significant potential both in directly creating savings and indirectly via changing organizational culture and hence decision-making. Individuals and groups within larger businesses are often overlooked by Government policy which forms a good contact in implementing government policy. Energy efficiency is much more likely to become a strategic objective for businesses when energy consumption becomes salient. This means instituting monitoring and reporting practices and combining energy efficiency messaging with a broader efficiency agenda. When energy efficiency is targeted as having strategic value, access to finance becomes easier, particularly for larger businesses. Hence creating awareness on areas of wastage , monitoring and reporting the impact of change initiatives and recognizing efforts in that change will play a key role in making energy efficiency sustainable .There is “a clear view from employers that cutting carbon emissions has significant knock-on benefits, including building organizational reputation, being seen as a pro-environmental brand, improving sales/customer retention, recruiting and retaining high quality staff, reducing operating costs and meeting regulatory requirements.”
When energy efficiency is targeted as having strategic value, access to finance becomes easier, particularly for larger businesses.
In many of organizations, energy efficiency has been left to engineering yet research has shown that when you train energy ambassadors you are able to reduce your energy consumption by up to 18%. New evidence shows that businesses need to focus on the impact that people have on energy within the business. It is referred to as ‘Carbon Psychology’ - which is the study of human behavior in relation to energy management. By studying energy-consuming behavior, we can explore how energy can be saved through inclusion of employees
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OIL & GAS
NA A K R TU Y T N U CO K C A L B THE GOLD OVERS H CURSE
s enyan K l l a ed ipt d inde ng like a scr n a s t s i esiden ever, read agreement r e h r t e s – . How ff Writ r. Dis 012, By Sta a in 2 in our reach turned sou overnment is n a k r G s t h Tu oil in ars were wit lebration ha d National e oil expor f o y r d l n e l cru is c cove ty a il do he dis e coveted o ountries, th Oil, Coun irst planned t h t i f W h w nc ated. T Africa lved - Tullo 7 when the celebr ny oil-rich 1 o 0 a une 2 es inv from m the parti en before J v en betwe e to fester e u n conti d te expec
A
t a recent public rally held recently in Lodwar - headquarters of Turkana County -, a visibly angry President Uhuru Kenyatta scoffed at those ‘‘lying to the Turkana people’’ that he wanted to take Turkana’s oil. Last year he who declined to assent the Petroleum Exploration and Development Bill 2016 that stipulated that the local community gets 10% and the county government gets 20% of the oil revenue, instead sending it back to Parliament with amendments to have the community gets 5% and county get 10% and both were capped dependent on the National Government allocation. On 7th December, 2016, in a meeting of community members, opinion leaders and the Turkana political leadership in Lokichar – the epic centre of operations for Tullow oil – came up with Resolution on Insecurity and the Petroleum Bill 2016. It was signed by Governor Koli Nanok, on behalf of the county. One of the points of the resolution stated “We remind the President that our poverty has been not only as a result of vagaries of weather but discriminative policies pursued by successive governments. We now see, the government offsetting loans for coffee and tea farmers. It has never come to restock our livestock after prolonged droughts and insecurity. Now we need our money.”
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OIL & GAS
T
he resolution also described this reduction as “punitive, discriminative and an affront to perpetuating marginalization.” It also threatened to derail oil drilling, if their plea was not met. This puts Tullow Oil’s KShs22.5Billion investment in jeopardy. Over the last 50 years, the northern frontier (Turkana, Marsabit, Garissa and Wajir) has seen little in terms of infrastructure, with insecurity poverty and illiteracy at the highest levels. According to the Kenya InterAgency Rapid Assessment 2014, Turkana’s poverty level is at 94% while illiteracy stands at 82%. Turkana County experiences devastating droughts and famines. The county government is often forced to feed the population and negotiate peace for the thousands that migrate into neighbouring Uganda in search of water and pasture.
As a way forward, the company and county executives agreed to meet quarterly to discuss and settle any disputes.
The county government is eyeing abigger share of the 600million barrels of oil expected from the Turkana sites.
At Kshs 22.5Billion, Tullow Oil’s investment in Turkana County is arguably the largest investment project the area has seen in more than 50 years
Thus, county government sees that it has an obligation to lift its citizens out of poverty through the proceeds of the oil sale. This is not the first such disagreement. In 2013, Tullow Oil shut down its operations due to protests from the local community over lack of job opportunities and tender awarding. And while insecurity – brought on by cattle rustling - continued to be rampant, the oil explorer is provided with security. 48
WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
Production, an Oxfam Report, suggests that Kenya could make Sh6.4trillon; Sh280billion each year from 2020 to 2043 when the oil will be depleted.
Recently, a plan to transport the oil by road to the Mombasa Oil Refinery sparked a new protest. The community demanded that the Lodwar – Kitale Road (325Kms) be repaired first. So, what is the county government fighting for? 600 million barrels of oil. Protecting Future Oil Revenues: Priorities in Advance of
In Nigeria, 13% of the gross oil revenue is shared out to the nine oil producing states at the Niger Delta. In Uganda, the central government gets 85% and local one gets 15%. In the US, it is between 5% and 9%. In the Middle-East, the states have absolute control of the revenues. Whether the Turkana County plea will be heard or not remains to be seen. There are lessons to be learnt from African oil producers such as Nigeria .Despite being the 4th largest oil producer in the world, the people living in the Delta are some of the poorest in the country. South Sudan, Africa youngest nation is embroired in a new civil. It is a fact that oil dollars can enable a country or region attain a Shangri-La. Will this be the case for Kenya and Turkana County? Only time will tell.
Branding Energy We are the first exclusive energy communication company offering energy solutions across Africa.
We offer solutions in: 1. PPA negotiation and feasibility studies. 2. Stakeholder Management & community engagement. 3. Energy efficiency & climate change 4. Energy communication & product development. Find us on: info@brandingenergy.co.ke
Branding Energy
www.brandingenergy.co.ke
WOMEN IN ENERGY AWARDS:
WHAT THEY SAID;
Eng. Joseph Njoroge
. Visit ongoing projects and attend
P.S Ministry of Energy & Petroleum
pre bid meeting to see the opportunities
. Provide opportunities for employment for
women engineers. Its very expensive to train an engineer.
. Proceeds from women businesses impact the
Eng John Mativo
homestead directly
. Government is priotising paying debts owed to youth, women and the disabled.
. Local content: buy Kenya build Kenya which is
. Hope is not a strategy women must
at 40%, local women should take advantage of this business opportunity
. Agencies in the energy sector should strive
come out in the open.
for 40% not the 30% prescribed by the procurement law
Eng Collins Juma CEO KNEB Eng Boni Chileshe
. Let’s fight stereotypes . Diversity should be treated as a busi-ness agenda not CSR
CEO AECOM
Dr. Ben Chumo Former CEO KPLC
. The company is targeting
1,000mw which at least requires over 1,000 engineers Linda Davis Director strategic partnerships
. Interactions with girl child must start . from school . Last mile program has empowered
.
W-POWER
millions of women through business opportunities and economic empowerment.
. 4million people die every year
. Initiated a programme to bring
daughters to work to create interest
. More women involved in the
because of cooking with firewood
economy have greater impact , with 40% of women not working
Mrs ADA mwangola Director Strategy Vision 2030 Renee Ngamau Capital FM Presenter & Business Coach
. Capacity building is what has hampered women from progressing especially the energy sector.
. Getting a positive mindset and
moving out of your comfort zone.
Eng. Kiva Esther Gathigi WECREATE
Director of Renewables, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum
. The ministry has elaborate programs and training for women in the sector
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WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
. We have a school programme that encourages school going girls to take stem subjects.
Lilian Kiambati
Emily Mutua CEO talent works
Women in Technology
Safaricom Limited
. Integrating work life balance is key
to growth as nothing stops moving
. Women should be good at what . are doing, because what sells in they
Mumbi Ngaru
the market is quality
Member of EAC Tameezan Wa Gathui Chair, WISE
. Women have no tribe . Women must participate in the
political process to determine the destiny of their business .
Fridah Owinga
. Nobody says ‘When I grow up I want to be a vice president or a deputy Governor.”
.
Teddy Walubenga Strathmore University We are training women in solar at discounted prices, hence encourage them to come up strongly and learn the skills.
Therefore women must be encouraged to be number one.
Hellen Odegi
. Women must join organizations and
be active in groups with like-minded people
WINNERS
Njenga Mwangi ERC Director
Phyllis Mathenge Wing Africa
. Women in geothermal are . The opportunities are immense and there is need to make masses aware of it.
competent and experienced but they don’t know how to express themselves.
Women in Business-WOMEN GROUP AWARDS Grace Rie-INNOVATION AWARD Marian Muthui-COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD Peter Scott-ENERGY COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD Chebet Lesan-ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD-SMALL AND MICRO ENTERPRISES Helen Odegi-PHILANTHROPY/SERVICE AWARD Beatrice Muthoni NgugiPROFESSIONAL CATEGORY AWARD Yasmin Shariff Abdulkadir CONFERENCE AWARD: BEST EFFORT AWARD Martha Wakholi-POWER GAGA AWARDS
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OIL & GAS
From the war on extremism, Middle East politics and OPEC’s delicate balancing act, the US president has a full plate
‘TRUMPING‘ THE MIDDLE EAST By Foreign Correspondent...Energy News
A
fter all is said and done, Donald Trump occupies the Office of the US President for the next four years. As the world waits for the dust to settle, energy production carries on. To a producer, exporter and consumer of energy the relations between the US and the Middle East remain a priority. According to Stratas Advisors’ country risk analyst Thomas Buonomo, the Middle East is facing internal and external factors impacting regional stability and overall energy abilities.
“With 98% of East African oil imports coming from the Middle East, is Trump shaping our thoughts?”
In Israel, for example, offshore projects including the Levithian gas project are moving forward. These offshore projects are however specifically threatened by the firing of ‘Iranian-supplied missiles’ by Hezbolla who, though preoccupied with stabilising the Assad regime, has had escalating conflicts with Israel.
Skyscrapers of Dubai from proceeds of oil money 52
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OIL & GAS
Libya Power and stability remain a running theme through the Middle East and North Africa. Libya, an OPEC member and itself destabilised, produces petroleum and natural gas. In 2015 the country’s petroleum exports were valued at $4.98Billiom, and it produced more than 403,000 barrels per day of crude and about 15.49Million cubic meters of gas. Buonomo says that the US could align itself with Egypt and Russia to back Libya’s Gen. Khalifa Haftar instead of supporting the UN-backed reconciliation process which leads to a more stable Libya, though this is in the shorter term. A more sustainable solution would require cultivating ‘democratic and tolerant cultures and institutions’ acting in Libya’s interest as opposed to ‘on behalf of a narrow, corrupt and repressive elite.’
Iran The Trump administration is currently highly focused on combating extremist threats on US soil and containing any nuclear threats from Iran. In Buonomo’s eyes ‘constructive diplomatic engagement’ between the US and Iran is vital for broad regional stability but the engagement remains unlikely. One of the hindrances to the regions’ stability is Iran’s view of Israel. In his webinar presentation, Buonomo said that Iran’s leader has been ‘consistently hostile to the continued existence of the State of Israel, despite “secretly” communicating willingness to discuss the issue with the U.S in May 2003.’
ws
The network of pipelines and oil refineries in Libya, Iran Saudi Arabia and Algeria always a target
Other countries in the Middle East and North Africa at risk for declines and disruptions this year include Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Algeria.
Saudi Arabia There is a chess game between Saudi Arabia and Iran as Iran’s Supreme Leader seeks to take advantage of the conflict in Yemen to pursue his longstanding ambition to topple the Saudi monarchy. Saudi Arabia is responding to persistent ballistic missile attacks within its territory by Yemeni rebel forces, as well as other Iranian actions perceived to threaten the kingdom. ‘Political infighting in Baghdad’ and bitterness between Shia and Sunni Muslims even as it battles Islamic state noting this could reverberate on oil production and exports in the south.
Algeria The country, a founding member of OPEC, had about $54.4Billion in petroleum exports in 2015, according to the organization’s fact page. Buonomo pointed out that Algeria shored up larger financial reserves in anticipation of the oil price downturn, and could remain a long-term producer thanks to “substantial” gas reserves and fairly cheap oil production costs even as it faces a future power vacuum. The country is diversifying its energy by developing renewables, sensing “a global shift in this direction, as well as a rising domestic consumption of energy resources it could profit more by exporting” he said. WATTS UP MAGAZINE APR - MAY 2017
53
Denm
United Kingdom
The larg solution in Denm
UK runs without coal for the first time since revolution
Morocco
Changing 10million bulbs will lead to a drop of consumption by 2.74 metric tons of coal
USA Trump inspires drilling market to its recovery of 809 rigs per March
Libya
Libya Oil production has reached over 700,000 barrels a day driving the risk of a glut in the market
Senegal With massive discovery of Oil and Gas, the country is ready to become the Africa newest oil user
Chile
A three 150 megawatt solar thermal towers, which expected to produce electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week become heated as mirrors placed around each tower reflect sunlight onto it using molten salt
Nigeria
Head of Nigerian oil company to be charged with abuse of office and money laundering
Brazil
Brazil Largest solar plant to maximize output following its capabilities to change position and face the sun 54
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S A
Iran As one the new entrants in the market It is urging the member states to keep their prices
nmark
largest solar heating tion is being constructed enmark
Russia
With the recovery of oil prices at $55 the Russia economy is on recovery path with revenues in February jumping to $1.5B from $1b
China The renewable energy onslaught is on with scrapping of 85 coal plants with capacity of 20,000mw
India Egypt
The world third largest Oil and Gas consumer imports ž of its energy requirements and has intentions to reduce that by ½ in 2030
After persistent blackouts Egypt is about to be self-sufficient with 14,000mw coming on board to take advantage of the renewable energy
any of ng
South Africa
Australia With the new energy plan in place Nuclear energy has been pushed back by 10 years as falling solar photovoltaic continue falling in prices
National blackout due to relying on intermittent sources where 41% comes from wind and solar sources. Coal and Gas is now on the table
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