Infrastructure

City Tycoon to Build 60 MW Wind Farm in West Pokot

Narendra Raval is positioning himself as a green energy producer.

Updated on

August 17, 2023

Devki Group billionaire Narendra Raval is setting up a 60-megawatt (MW) wind power plant in West Pokot County as he seeks to lower his electricity costs.

In a recent public notice, Devki disclosed that its subsidiary National Cement Company Ltd., the producer of Simba Cement, was seeking regulatory approval to build a wind farm in Sebit village to power its cement factory located in the area.

“Notice is hereby given that National Cement Company Limited…pursuant to the provisions of section 117 of the Energy Act of 2019, will on 27th July 2023 make an application to the Energy Regulatory Authority for the energy generation license for 60 MW Waste Heat Recovery,” the notice said in part.

National Cement is building a cement factory in the Sebit village after acquiring the site from Cemtech Ltd., a subsidiary of Sanghi Group of India, in 2019 for an undisclosed sum of money.

The multi-billion-shilling project was launched in 2010 by Cemtech but failed to start after the company experienced financial challenges.

The planned construction of Sebit wind farm follows a similar move from last year when Devki Group’s subsidiary, Devki Steel Mills, disclosed plans to build a 65 MW wind farm in Samburu, Kwale County.

The Samburu plant is expected to cut energy costs at Devki’s virgin steel factory in the area, while furthering the company’s shift towards renewable energy.

Devki is positioning itself as a green energy producer at a time when electricity prices have skyrocketed, forcing investors to seek alternative sources of energy.

As of end of May, the average price of 50 kilowatts/units (kWh) of electricity had risen to Sh1,326.54 up from Sh796.83 in August last year, a 66.5% jump.

In 2015, Devki, renowned for steel and cement production, activated a 15 MW coal power plant at its Kajiado factory for use in clicker and steel processing.

Two years later, in 2017, Devi acquired Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power which is in the process of setting up a 35 MW geothermal plant in Menengai, Nakuru County.

In addition to wind and geothermal energy, solar power is also emerging as a preferred source of energy among large power consumers in the country.

A recent report by electricity distributor, Kenya Power, indicated that a growing number of large power customers – who account for about 68% of its sales revenues, have transitioned to own-generated solar power.

Domestic consumers are also shifting to solar power, with the 2019 census report putting solar lighting uptake in Kenya homes at 19.3%, encompassing about 2.3 million homes.