A Biomass boiler project commissioned by Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH, N) in September 2023 has won the National Energy Globe Award granted by the Energy Globe Foundation Austria. AKUH Nairobi is part of an international health system run by the Aga Khan University.
The transition to use briquettes and other biomass waste in its heating systems saw the hospital significantly reduce the use of diesel as the source of energy for water heating, laundry, cooking, and sterilisation services, the hospital says.
The project has reduced diesel use by 950,000 litres per year. This has resulted in a decrease of 2000 tons of carbon emissions in the first year of operations, which is similar to driving back and forth between Nairobi and Mombasa almost 700 times in an average-sized automobile. “From the 2000 projects from 141 countries entered in this year’s competition globally, Aga Khan University Hospital’s project emerged the overall winner in Kenya,” noted the Energy Globe Foundation Austria.
“Organisations must consider the environmental impact of their operations and develop solutions to decrease their carbon emissions – everyone needs to play their part,” AKUH Nairobi, CEO Rashid Khalani said. “At AKUH, N we are proud to be showcasing what is possible while maintaining the highest quality of care.”
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By recognising innovative and sustainable projects that protect the world’s environment, the National Energy Globe Award shares with a broad global audience solutions to environmental problems that organisations can learn from, implement, and carry on the chain of minimising the negative impact of climate change.
The Aga Khan Development Network is committed to combating the negative impacts of climate change to achieve net zero emissions in its operations by 2030. As part of this commitment, Aga Khan University (AKU) and its hospitals have devised and implemented several initiatives to meet this goal.
In 2022, AKUH, N installed a 100KWp solar-powered plant that offsets grid power at the Doctor’s Plaza building. This has reduced an average of 96 tons of carbon emissions yearly. Emissions from nitrous oxide have also been reduced in the last two years by nearly two-thirds.
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