Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) has unveiled a 700kv rooftop solar power system at its Tatu City manufacturing facility, marking a bold step towards energy efficiency and sustainable production.
The installation, carried out under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), took eight months to complete and is now fully operational.
Lina Githuka, the Managing Director at KWAL, linked the project to the company’s long-term sustainability strategy and its broader operational priorities.
“This investment reflects our broader ambition to accelerate our push to drive efficiencies, build a more sustainable business and embrace the opportunity to be part of Kenya’s ongoing renewable energy journey,” Githuka stated.
The solar plant is engineered as a hybrid system that powers factory operations with solar energy during daylight hours and automatically switches to the national grid after sunset.
This configuration allows the factory to maximise renewable energy use without any disruption to operations
With the system active, KWAL expects solar energy to cover at least 15 per cent of its annual electricity needs, delivering approximately 7.5 per cent in annual energy savings based on current consumption trends.
Driving sustainable and efficient operations
KWAL’s Tatu City facility was designed with sustainability at its core and holds EDGE certification for its water and energy efficiency.
The addition of the solar plant strengthens the company’s green manufacturing agenda while supporting Kenya’s national target of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
Expanding on the company’s next steps, Mwenda Kageenu, Director of Supply Chain at KWAL, noted that the certification supports their larger environmental goals.
“Our certification supports our ongoing drive to ensure we pursue a lower carbon footprint for our current operations and tap into sustainable solutions for our future production needs,” Kageenu said.
“Our goal is to undertake a phased approach to expand our solar capacity to 1,500kv to maximise our use of renewable energy sources.”
EDGE, developed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is an internationally recognised standard that identifies buildings with significant resource efficiency. 3
The EDGE Zero Carbon certification is awarded to facilities that achieve annual carbon neutrality through renewable energy or offsets, while maintaining at least 40 per cent energy savings.
Collaborative effort and regulatory approval
The project was implemented in partnership with OFGEN Africa, the contracted PPA provider, and the IFC.
It received full approvals from the Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Tatu Power, and the Tatu Development Control Company, ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.
With this solar initiative, KWAL is setting a benchmark for industrial sustainability, demonstrating how companies can integrate renewable energy into production processes while maintaining operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.
