MOMBASA CEMENT ERECTS WIND FARM TO CURB POWER INEFFICIENCIES

Kenya’s
Mombasa Cement has opted to build a wind farm to power its manufacturing
operations. Tired of inefficient supply and rising cost of electricity, the
company opted to put up the facility to help curb power inefficiencies that
increasingly undermine its operations and profitability.

The Mombasa Cement plant, is putting up a 36-megawatt wind farm consisting
of 12 turbines of 3MW each on a section of its 1,200-acre piece of land on
which it operates a clinker plant.

Koppal Srikantaiah, head of plant, explains that
the company incurred costs in 2018 for the 16 days lost without working due to
power outages. “We failed to meet demands,” he said.

The construction of the wind power plant got
underway early this year in Vipingo, Kilifi County and is expected to go live
next month.

“We have already initiated setting up of 132-kV
transmission line direct from main supply in Kaloleni to ensure a steady supply
of power but the inefficiency in the supply of power and the high cost is real
eating in our profits,” said Koppal.

Mombasa Cement, which began operations in 2007, is
now the second largest cement manufacturer in Kenya after Bamburi – with a
market share of about 15%.

The company has joined a growing list of establishments that have set up their own power production units to battle inefficiencies of the State-controlled Kenya Power.https://www.pumps-africa.com/cement-plant-puts-up-wind-firm-to-curb-power-inefficiencies-2/