Rural Electrification Authority (REA) Board of Directors’ Chairman Simon Gicharu has said that Kenya's solar energy power plant’s construction in Garissa County is set to begin.
According to Gichuru, the Sh12.8 billion will not only benefit residents of Garissa but also the rest of the country and continent upon completion.
The director said that everything has been put in place, adding that the construction will start within the next two weeks.
He also said that plant, which will generate 55MW solar power, is going to occupy 82 hectares of land, adding that there will be more improvements in the design.
"All the bottlenecks to the Garissa solar plant which is the biggest in East and Central Africa is over and in the next two weeks, we are set to approve the designs and it will take one year to complete,'' he said.
Gichuru further said that the Authority decided to set up the plant in this part of the country because of the arid climates as well as availability of large tracts of land that could accommodate the project.
''With an arid climate and a vast desert landmass, Garissa is geographically optimal for harnessing solar power,'' Gicharu said.
JinkoSolar Holding and China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation (CJIC) both from China have been given the contract to work on the plant.
[Solar power generating plant. According to Rural Electrification Authority (REA) Board of Directors’ Chairman Simon Gicharu, the plant will be teh biggest in East Africa.] Photo/www.africanreview.com