Renewable Energy

Photovoltaic Market Transformation Initiative (PVMTI) – 10 year fund set up in June 1998 to invest in expansion of the photo-voltaic systems markets in Kenya, India and Morocco. PVMTI was funded by GEF and managed by ICF. Pipal managed PVMTI investments in Kenya.

DEG Jatropha Support Programme - Pipal is currently managing a 3-year (started November 2008) private public partnership funded by nine East African companies and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through DEG. Using 10 hectare test sites across East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania), this programme will contribute to understanding which types of Jatropha give the best yields under which conditions and sustainable management practices, and under what conditions jatropha oil production is commercially viable.

D1 Oils / BP – assessment of biodiesel production in Madagascar using jatropha as a feedstock.

Vegpro – review of bio-fuel production potential in Eastern Kenya using jatropha and sweet sorghum as feedstocks.

EU – financing constraints for renewable energy projects in East Africa.

Embrapa – use of sweet sorghum as an alternative for sugar cane in Kenya.

Current projects include: conversion of plantation wet and dry biomass to energy for on-site use and supply to the grid; energy efficiency using decentralised cogeneration systems; recovery of boiler exhaust heat to drive steam turbines for secondary energy production; small hydro power plants (3-30MW)