The Coast Water Works Development Agency (CWWDA) is set to significantly cut its electricity costs and stabilise water supply across Kenya’s coastal region following the rollout of a 4.6-megawatt solar power plant.
The large-scale renewable energy project is designed to reduce the high cost of electricity used to pump water from boreholes and transport it over long distances to consumers in Mombasa, Kilifi, and Malindi.
For years, the agency has relied heavily on grid power, a dependence that has translated into soaring electricity bills and frequent disruptions to water supply.
According to Project Coordinator David Kanui, CWWDA’s monthly power bill currently stands at about Sh60 million, placing immense financial pressure on water service providers and, ultimately, consumers.
“Pumping water from underground sources and moving it over long distances is energy-intensive. Rising electricity costs have been one of our biggest operational challenges,” Mr Kanui said.
To address the challenge, the agency partnered with development partners led by the World Bank through the Water and Sanitation Development Project (WSDP), which financed the Sh670 million solar installation.
“The World Bank agreed to finance the project under the Water and Sanitation Development Project. We negotiated, and they supported the installation of a solar power plant to help reduce the electricity bill for this facility,” Mr Kanui said.
Implemented by the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, the project is integrating solar power into the Baricho water system, a move expected to reduce electricity costs by at least Sh10 million from the current monthly bill of about Sh70 million once fully operational.
He said the solar project will power all 11 boreholes and the high-lift pumping system to Malindi under Phase One (Base One), with future phases—including Base Two and Base Three—planned to extend solar-powered pumping to Mombasa, further reducing reliance on grid electricity.
Mr Kanui said the expected cut in electricity costs by approximately Sh10 million per month will ease operational expenses for water companies and open the door to potential savings for consumers.
Mr Kanui said that besides reducing costs, the solar plant will also improve power reliability, noting that frequent electricity disconnections in the past have disrupted water supply, an issue the new system is expected to significantly mitigate.
He stressed that the project is currently grid-powered, operating on solar energy for about eight hours during the day and switching to power energy at night and in the early morning.
The agency is also exploring battery storage solutions that could allow the system to run fully off-grid in the future.
“During the day when there is sun, we pump using solar. At night, early morning, and in the evening—about 16 hours—we run on grid power,” he explained.
The project, which began in October 2025, is scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2026, though the contractor has indicated it could be finalised earlier, by mid-February.
In Malindi, engineers report steady progress on the solar installation, which forms Phase One of the initiative. Solar Engineer Serah Mbwaya said the project is currently 60 percent complete.
“It’s still a work in progress, but by the end of this month we should commission the first phase of it. We can then finish the other section by mid-February,” she said.
She added, “The main objective is to reduce electricity costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen the financial sustainability of the agency.”
She said the project aligns well with broader environmental goals, supporting the government’s transition to clean, renewable energy within the water sector.
She pointed out that the installed solar panels have a lifespan of over 25 years, while a small lithium-ion battery bank—designed to stabilise power during brief cloud cover—is expected to last between 10 and 15 years.
“The lifespan of the various components that we use, like solar panels, is over 25 years,” she said, adding, “The other components include a small battery bank, which helps to stabilise power. If there’s a passing cloud, the system can continue to operate, and it also sends signals to the system.”
She said the agency is preparing to take advantage of net metering, which would allow excess solar power generated during the day to be fed back into the national grid and drawn later, reducing reliance on batteries. Registration for the programme has been completed, but implementation is pending action by the Energy Ministry.
“For now, solar is only during the day; at night, we rely on grid power. Once net metering is rolled out, we hope to operate 24 hours,” she said.
The project is expected to deliver long-term cost savings, improve operational reliability, and position Coast Water Works Development Agency as a leader in renewable energy adoption in Kenya’s water sector.
By Ian Chepkuto
