New Strategy Powers Electricity Producer Into Detergent Making

Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) has commenced construction of a liquid drilling detergent manufacturing factory at an estimated investment cost of Ksh60 million.

Detergent making emerged from the company’s annual Global Innovation Seminar. Over the last eight years, the company has originated and implemented innovative projects which have spurred growth within the organization and also created opportunities in Kenya and other African countries.

Good to great

The KenGen detergent factory will be based at the company’s Olkaria Geothermal complex in Naivasha, with the plant components installation expected to be complete in 2021.

Speaking on the new development, the company’s Geothermal Development Director, Eng. Abel Rotich said KenGen move to set up the factory was driven by the institution’s Good-to-Great (G2G) Transformation Strategy.

The main focus of the strategy is to move KenGen from a good-to-great company by creating sustainable value from one generation to the next.

He also revealed that the KenGen detergent factory project is about 70% complete. “The intended completion and take-over date is expected to be somewhere in the first quarter of 2021,” he added.

The company has already obtained pre-requisite laboratory approvals from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) to manufacture the detergent. At the same time, KenGen has acquired Kebs approval to manufacture liquid hand washing detergent, liquid bleach, hair shampoo, carpet shampoo, car shampoo, liquid disinfectant and fabric softener.

KenGen submitted an Environmental and Social Impacts Assessment (ESIA) report for the proposed detergent plant to National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) on October 26, 2018, and got approvals on July 19, 2019.

The company is currently integrating innovation in its conversations and actions.

Apart from the KenGen detergent factory, other projects which KenGen has embarked on under the Good-2-Great Strategy include; commercial treatment and bottling of drinking water following the commissioning of Gitaru Water Drinking Plant, and the KenGen Calibration centre.

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