Pilot for tea industry with WWF
Absolicon is installing a pilot plant in Kericho, Kenya, to help convert the tea industry to solar heat and to create financing solutions for the tea industry’s conversion to solar energy.
In Kenya, factories drying leaves for tea use huge amounts of eucalyptus wood grown in the immediate area to produce heat. The eucalyptus seems cheap, but when all costs are summed up, the energy cost is about € 30 / MWh. In addition, the eucalyptus plantations dry out the soil and destroy wetlands. Part of the drought disaster in the area is due to changed land use.
Absolicon T160 Solar collectors for the pilot field was delivered on site for Absolicon pilot installation in Kericho, Kenya during 2020 but the project is on hold due to Covid19 related delays.
The project to introduce solar thermal to the industrial processes is funded by the Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) and is run together with WWF Kenya and Tealand Engineering & Construction Ltd.