Amaco Energy S.A and Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) Kenya have agreed to develop a $700 million (KSh90 billion) energy and artificial intelligence infrastructure project at the Coast Integrated Industrial Park in Dongo Kundu, Mombasa.
The development, called the Hercules project, will initially generate 250 megawatts of electricity and is designed to be scalable to one gigawatt, while also providing cooling and data-centre facilities across a 500-acre site near the port.
The scheme is part of a government and Afreximbank country programme and is being pursued by Arise IIP, with a memorandum of understanding signed on November 6 at the Kenya Ports Authority headquarters to carry out technical, commercial, environmental, regulatory and financial assessments.
Amaco Energy chief executive Theodore Theodoropoulos said the project will begin with 250 megawatts and can be expanded to 1,000 megawatts, adding that full operation is expected within 20 to 24 months.
He also explained that the initiative links power generation directly to the data-centres and industries that will use it, noting that Mombasa offers a port, international connectivity and a growing industrial base, and that collaboration with Arise IIP Kenya provides the setting for an integrated solution.
Arise IIP Kenya country head and chief executive George Olaka said the partnership will create energy and cooling infrastructure alongside the park, linking industrial land with a major East African trade gateway and an international submarine cable landing point.
He added that “Connectivity brings the world to Mombasa. The next task is building the infrastructure that allows businesses to produce, process and compute here at scale.”
The first phase will rely on liquefied natural gas supplied via a floating power barge, with plans to shift toward hydrogen and renewable sources as technology and economics evolve, and the project aims to meet Mombasa’s near-term electricity demand of 1,350 megawatts plus an additional 300 megawatts for a proposed desalination plant.
Construction is projected to create between 1,500 and 1,850 jobs, while operational staffing could provide 350 to 400 specialised positions and 200 to 250 indirect roles.
The Dongo Kundu special economic zone is a flagship industrialisation effort that has attracted logistics, manufacturing and energy investors, although some have warned that gaps in basic utilities such as electricity, roads, water and sewerage could delay investment decisions.
Arise IIP is also advancing other industrial and digital projects on the coast, including the Vipingo special economic zone in Kilifi County.
