African Design Magazine ADM #37 February 2018 | Page 33

Investors are advancing projects for solar power to join the grid in the Uasin Gishu County, Kenya Solar to LIGHT UP KENYA wo of the solar projects developed by Radiant Energy and Eldosol Energy Limited are sited next to each other some 13km to the east of Eldoret in the Uasin Gishu County. The European Investment Bank (EID) is finalising a €60 million (Sh7.5 billion) loan for these projects. In January, the World Bank also approved €30 million (Sh15 billion) financing for the Kenya Off-grid Solar Access Project. The funds will enable the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to establish solar mini grids and boost transformer networks across Kenya. According to REA Chairman, Simon Gicharu, the mini grids will lead to an increase in solar pumping systems to provide water for drinking and irrigation in 14 underserved counties in Northern and North Eastern Kenya. Read more on investment projects in Kenya’s solar power energy by clicking here The Third solar power plant , located 1km east of the Radiant/Eldosol sites, is being developed by Alten Energy Solarfarms . Alten Africa partnered with Inspired Evolution based in Cape Town . Inspired Evolution has signed a deal to invest up to USD36 million in Read more on Alten RE Developments Africa B.V.,the sub-Saharan Africa-focused nancial benets subsidiary of Alten Energias Renovables. to Kenyan solar projects by clicking here The investment by Inspired Evolution's Evolution II Fund will scale Alten Africa's existing solar PV development platform across sub- Saharan Africa. africandesignmagazine.com 33