Thika Way Investment is seeking a permit to set up a KES2.5bn biogas plant at the shores of Lake Victoria, Homabay County. The plant will produce cooking gas and fertilizer to residents and farmers of the County. The plant is expected to generate 35MW of electricity through 8MW batches each and one 3MW batch.
The biogas produced from fermenting the hyacinth will be combusted to produce electricity, which will be fed to the national grid. The biomass remains will be re-processed after the extraction of its biogas potential to produce high quality organic fertilizer for use in agriculture. Excess biogas shall be extracted, cleaned and bottled for purposes of cooking.
The plant will consist of twelve fermenters, feedstock silos, residuals impounding basins, shipping docks for water hyacinth supply and fertilizer processing facilities. The technology to be incorporated in constructing the power plant has been developed by EnviTec Biogas AG, a company that was established in 2002. No specific month has been mentioned for when construction will start.
The project will bring in a significant impact by reducing growth of water hyacinth and contribute to economic growth at the Lake Victoria. Recently, Tropical Power launched Africa’s first biogas plant in Naivasha. The plant is set to produce an additional 2MW of electricity to the national grid.
Read Tropical Power unveils first biogas plant