Bamburi Cement goes green in drive to cut costs
Bamburi Cement will shift to solar power as the company joins other firms on the road to cutting power costs and stemming interruptions.
The cement maker has signed a power purchase agreement with an independent power producer, MOMNAI Energy Limited, to set up two solar plants adjacent to the company’s Mombasa plant and Nairobi grinding factory.
The solar power systems will have a total capacity of 14.5 megawatts and five megawatts for Bamburi’s Mombasa plant and Nairobi respectively.
This will account for 40 per cent of Bamburi’s total power supply, saving the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm 10 per cent annually on costs.
Several companies, universities, and factories have turned to solar energy to ensure reliable supply and reduce operational costs amid a global shift to green energy.
“We are elated to be making this step towards switching to more affordable and clean energy that will not only lead to a significant reduction in power costs but also bring us closer to our goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions,” said Miriam Ngolo, Bamburi’s strategy and business development director.
The move comes at a time when companies are ditching the national distributor Kenya Power following an outcry by businesses of high electricity bills and the cost of doing business.