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Cold SolutionsSOLAR THERMAL · IPP · NAIROBI, KENYA
Heat, straight from the sun.
East Africa’s first industrial solar-thermal field: 330 m² of Absolicon collectors heating fuel oil for a 52.5 MW power plant.
First in East Africa
The challenge
IberAfrica Power, one of Kenya’s leading Independent Power Producers with 52.5 MW of capacity, was burning substantial electricity just to keep heavy fuel oil warm while its engines idled.
The plant wanted to cut that energy-intensive overhead and move on its sustainability goals, with technology that had never been deployed in the region.
The solution
In partnership with Absolicon and Kingspan Logstor, Ariya delivered a 330 m² aperture solar-thermal field, the first of its kind in East Africa, elevated 5.5 m to maximise space and irradiation. Solar-heated water now warms the HFO.
656 metres of Logstor pre-insulated PUR pipes carry the heat with annual losses of just 8.3 MWh, versus 43.5 MWh with conventional insulation. The system has run seamlessly since commissioning in May 2022.
Impact & key figures.
“We have witnessed seamless operation of the solar thermal system since its commissioning in early May 2022.”