Carbacid Expands Solar Capacity, Adding 400 kWp and Battery Storage to Cut Power Costs

Carbacid Investments said it will add 400 kilowatt-peak of solar generation at its Kagwe plant together with a 723 kilowatt-hour battery storage system to reduce electricity expenses.

The new capacity joins an existing 1,610 kWp solar portfolio across the Kagwe and Sosiani plants that produced 1.72 million kilowatt-hours in the year ended July 2026, accounting for about 27 per cent of the group’s power requirements.

Carbacid aims to raise the share of renewable electricity to roughly half of its consumption by financial year 2029/30, with battery storage planned for Sosiani in later years.

“With battery storage planned for Sosiani in the subsequent years, the facilities are on track to scale their solar share from an average 30 per cent to approximately 50 per cent by financial year 2029/30,” the firm said in its 2026 sustainability report.

The company said the solar installations have lowered dependence on grid power, cut energy costs and hedged against tariff increases. “Together, Sosiani and Kagwe prove sustainability-led capital investment strengthens operational resilience, lowers energy costs, hedges against tariff escalation, and advances our net-zero ambitions,” it added.

Cumulative solar generation has exceeded 2.45 million kilowatt-hours, avoiding an estimated 1,286 tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions. The Sosiani plant in Eldoret now has an installed capacity of 860 kWp, while Kagwe’s capacity stands at 750 kWp after commissioning in August last year.

Solar supplied an average of 37.64 per cent of electricity at Sosiani during the financial year, peaking at 52.73 per cent in January 2026. At Kagwe, solar contributed an average of 21 per cent, with a peak of 38.6 per cent in the same month, marking the first month solar generation exceeded grid draw.

Carbacid said it continues to seek ways to improve energy efficiency, reduce grid dependence and lower Scope 2 emissions.

The firm reported a 26 per cent fall in combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions to 5,871 tonnes from 7,898 tonnes in the previous financial year, while the volume of carbon dioxide supplied to customers rose 20 per cent. Generator diesel use dropped 61 per cent and diesel consumption by bulk tankers fell 9.2 per cent.

The planned solar and battery projects illustrate a growing role for privately financed renewable energy in Kenyan manufacturing, where electricity costs and reliability affect production costs and competitiveness.