A biogas plant at the Nyongara slaughter house in Dagoretti. Del Monte intends to sell excess power from its five-megawatt facility. File
Fresh fruits processor Del Monte is set to put up a Sh1 billion biogas and electric power plant at its Thika facility, which could become the largest such project in the country.
The five-megawatt (5MW) plant is designed to save Del Monte millions of shillings in fuel and electricity expenses, while also earning it extra cash by selling excess power to the national grid and trading of carbon credits.
According to regulatory filings on the project seen by Business Daily, Del Monte has budgeted Sh963.4 million for the project, which it expects will create a minimum of 100 jobs during construction.
“The recovered biogas will be used for the production of thermal and electrical energy, which will be consumed on-site by the Del Monte pineapple processing facility. Excess electricity will be supplied to the Kenyan national grid,” says a document filed with the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
The fruit processor has said that it intends to use the services of Pinepower Limited, an international energy company, to construct the facility in a move that will see it join a growing list of private firms and households that are opting for clean and cheaper energy sources.
The regulatory filings note that the purpose of the project is the recovery of biogas from biogenic organic matter in waste water. If successful the company will join others like Mumias Sugar, which has been selling electricity generated from bagasse, a by-product of sugar production, to Kenya Power.
In the year ended June 2011 the sugar company booked Sh353.49 million up from Sh320.42 million as at the end of June 2010 from its electricity co-generation plant.
Thousands of Kenyans in areas that have a high density of dairy cows have also opted to install biogas pits to reduce reliance on imported liquefied petroleum gas and electricity, whose cost is influenced by international oil prices and exchange rates.
The proposed site for the Del Monte project measures approximately three acres within the Del Monte farm, which stretches from the new Nairobi-Murang’a road in the West, borders Thika River and crosses the Thika-Garissa road.
The intention is to supplement energy requirements through biogas generated from solid factory residues, field residues and waste water for a period of not less than 24 years.
The company says it will install a combined heat and power system to produce electricity.
“During times the factory is in service the combined heat and power system will produce enough energy to fulfil 100 per cent of Del Monte’s energy needs,” notes its filing.
The biogas output will be used in a dual-fuel boiler to replace oil for the steam production needed at the cannery and in production-free times all biogas is used in the combined heat and power system to produce electricity that will be fed into the national grid.
The fruit processor expects that approximately 30 long-term job opportunities will be created through the operation of the facility.
