80 MW Wind+Solar+Storage Project In Kenya

• Eurus Energy and Windlab Limited will develop an 80 MW solar, wind and storage project in Kenya
• The Meru Energy Park will comprise up to 20 wind turbines and more than 40,000 solar panels
• A new entity called Windlab East Africa has been formed for the purpose along with MCIDC in Meru County
• To be grid connected post completion, the project will enter construction in Athwana wars in 2021

An 80 MW hybrid solar, wind and battery storage project is in the offing for Keyna's Meru County after the Kenyan Investment Authority and Meru County government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japan's Eurus Energy and Australia's Windlab Limited. Eurus Energy is part of Toyota Group's trading arm Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC).

The Meru County Energy Park will be Africa's 'first large scale hybrid wind, solar PV and battery storage project,' reported ESI-Africa. It will comprise up to 20 wind turbines and over 40,000 solar panels. Signed at the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) in Japan in August 2019, the agreement aims to ensure the development of this 'flagship' project for Meru County Investment and Development Corporation (MCIDC) which is partnering with the joint venture between Windlab and Eurus, Windlab East Africa. Parts of the project will be owned by Meru County post completion. Construction is scheduled to begin onsite in Tignia West Constituency sometime in 2021. The project will be grid connected on completion.

"As MCIDC, we are working closely with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) & Windlab to ensure the Meru Energy parks starts power generation, the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) negotiations are ongoing with a positive outlook. We are collaborating with the County Department of Lands and the County Commissioner's office, who are facilitating the resolution of land disputes that have held back the land title issuance," said Felicity Biriri, Chairperson at MCIDC, in an official statement.

In May 2019, independent power producer Alten Energias Renovables Group selected Voltalia of France to set up a 55 MW solar plant in Uasin Gishu state of Kenya calling it one of the largest solar power plants in Eastern Africa (see Voltalia To Construct 55 MW Kenyan Solar Project).

At TICAD 7, Eurus Energy's parent company TTC also signed up for 100 MW PV capacity in Zambia with Elsewedy Electric of Egypt (see Japanese Firm To Build 2×50 MW PV Projects In Zambia).