Kenyan Tea Farmers Expand Hydropower

Key Figures & Findings: Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), through its energy subsidiary KTDA Power Company (KTPC), has unveiled plans to add 35MW of small hydropower capacity to its clean energy portfolio, targeting reduced factory operating costs and energy independence for tea processing. KTDA, which manages services for over 600,000 smallholder tea farmers, has increasingly embraced renewable energy as a strategic priority to insulate its operations from national grid instability and rising power tariffs. The new hydropower additions aim to stabilize electricity costs, boost production efficiency, and potentially feed surplus power to local communities. The announcement reaffirms KTDA's dual role as both an agribusiness enabler and a decentralised energy provider in rural Kenya.

Statistics & Insights: This initiative will increase KTPC's HEP capacity , contributing significantly to the energy needs of KTDA's extensive network of tea factories across Kenya.

Future Implications: If successfully completed by 2027, this expansion could lead to lower energy bills for smallholder-owned factories and free up grid capacity for nearby off-takers. It may also catalyse further investment in small-scale hydropower as a rural industrial solution across East Africa.

Source: Africa Energy