Alten Solar Power Station


Alten Solar Power Station, also Keesses 1 Solar Power Station, is a solar power plant under construction in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community.

Location

The power station is located outside the city of Eldoret, in Uasin Gishu County, approximately, by road, north-west of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. The solar farm would sit on approximately of land, approximately, south-east of Eldoret and about one kilometer east of Eldosol Solar Power Station and Radiant Solar Power Station.

Overview

Kenya has ambitions to electrify 100 percent of the country's population, up from 70 percent in 2017. This development and the 50 megawatts Kopere Solar Power Station, together with the 55 megawatts Garissa Solar Power Station, owned by , are aimed to diversify Kenya electricity sources, given the unpredictability of hydro-power in this East African country. This power station is expected to supply 124.6 GWh of energy annually, enough to meet the energy needs of over 824,000 on-grid customers.

Developers

The power station is owned by Alten Energías Renovables, a European independent power producer with two other solar project developments in Kenya, Kesses 2 and Kopere.
Alten has notified Kenyan authorities that the French company Voltalia has been selected by the owners to carry out the construction, operation and maintenance service on the plant. The power will be sold to electricity distributor Kenya Power and Lighting Company.

Construction timeline

Construction started in December 2018, with commissioning expected in March 2020.