PROJECT

Projects

Environmental & Social Review Summary

Project Number

36402

Company Name

KTDA POWER COMPANY LTD

Date ESRS Disclosed

Sep 16, 2015

Country

Kenya

Region

Africa

Last Updated Date

Sep 16, 2017

Environmental Category

B - Limited

Status

Active

Previous Events

Approved : Nov 11, 2015
Signed : Dec 18, 2015
Invested : Sep 14, 2017

Sector

Small Hydro (<10MW) - Renewable Energy Generation

Industry

Infrastructure

Department

Regional Industry - MAS ME & Africa

Project Description

KTDA Power Company Lmited (“KTDA Power”, or the “Company”), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kenya Tea Development Agency Holding Limited (“KTDA), set up to develop renewable energy projects to support KTDA’s operations. IFC’s investment (the “Project”) will support the design, construction, operation and maintenance of seven run-of-the-river small-hydropower plants (“SHPs") and related transmission lines, ranging from 1.1MW to 6.5MW and with a total installed capacity of 16MW in various locations in Kenya. The SHPs will provide captive power generation for KTDA’s tea factories, and will sell any excess to the state-owned utility company, Kenya Power Company Limited. The total project cost is estimated at $85.6M; IFC’s investment is an A Loan of up to $12.5M and Global Agriculture Food Security Program (GAFSP) Loan of up to $12.5M.

KTDA is one of the largest private tea management agencies in East Africa. KTDA is owned by 54 individual tea companies that operate 65 tea processing factories across Kenya. Each tea company is owned by a number of smallholder tea farmers; there are approximately 562,000 smallholders supplying tea leaves to the KTDA companies. KTDA Power was established in 2010 as part of KTDA’s strategy to reduce energy costs at the factories. KTDA Power is developing a portfolio of small, run-of-the-river SHPs with an aggregate generation capacity of up to 29MW across 10 sites in various locations in Kenya. Three out of these 10 sites are fully funded; the remaining seven sites will be covered by IFC’s financing. Each SHP will be owned by newly created asset holding companies, Regional Power Companies (RPCs). In turn, each RPC is jointly owned by several KTDA Tea Factories located in the region where the relevant SHP is constructed. The RPCs are: Kirinyaga Power Company Ltd, Greater Meru Power Company Ltd, Settet Power Company Ltd, and Nyakwana Power Company Ltd. The four RPCs will manage the SHPs within the catchment areas of the tea factories. The design of all seven SHPs is a standard type of run-of-river small hydropower plant with intake, headrace water channel, forebay, penstock and surface power house connected to the tea factory and the national grid. The SHPs are in various stages of development/construction.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for South Mara and Lower Nyamindi is Jiangxi Water and Hydropower Company (JWHC), China and the contractor for Iraru is a JV between Hydropower International Sri Lanka and TransAfrica Energy, Kenya. The contractors will provide O&M services for the first year of operations and subsequently, KTDA Power, through the RPCs, will be responsible to the operations of the SHPs.

Overview of IFC's Scope of Review

IFC’s review involved the assessment of KTDA Power’s Environmental and Social (E&S) policies, procedures, and practice against IFC’s Performance Standards and applicable E&S laws in Kenya. IFC’s review included the following activities: (i) meetings with senior management and operational staff of KTDA Power – General Manager, Project Team Leader, Project Engineers. (ii) inspection of two small hydro project sites – Lower Nyamindi and Iraru (May 2015); (iii) inspection of existing hydro project site – Imenti (May 2015); (iv) review of responses provided to IFC’s environmental and social questionnaire; and (iv) review of available project documents and environmental assessment reports for six projects; human resources (HR) documents and E&S policies and procedures for KTDA/KTDA Power and the hydropower projects..

IFC’s review indicates that the investment will have impacts that must be managed in a manner consistent with Kenyan legal and regulatory requirements, the Performance Standards and the World Bank Group’s General Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.

IFC’s appraisal considered environmental and social management plans for the Project and gaps, if any, between these plans and IFC’s requirements. Where necessary, corrective measures intended to close these gaps within a reasonable period of time, are summarized in the paragraphs that follow and in the agreed Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) disclosed in this review summary. Through the implementation of these management plans and the ESAP, the Project is expected to be designed and operated in accordance with Performance Standards objectives.

E & S Project Categorization and Applicable Standard

Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures

Stakeholder Engagement

Broad Community Support

Environmental & Social Action Plan

Client Documentation

File Name Actions
EIA - Weru South Mara vol 4.pdf
EIA - Nyabunde KTDA Report Oct 2014.pdf
EIA - Kimunye Nyamindi vol 4.pdf
EIA - Kimunye Kiringa vol 4.pdf
EIA - Kapkorors Kipsonoi vol 4.pdf
EIA - Iraru Kionyo vol 4.pdf
Social Impact Assessment - Executive Summary Kimunye Kiringai vol 3.pdf
Social Impact Assessment - Weru South Mara vol 3.pdf
Social Impact Assessment - Kimunye Nyamindi vol 3.pdf
Social Impact Assessment - Kapkoros Kipsonoi vol 3.pdf
Social Impact Assessment - Iraru Kionyo vol 3.pdf
KTDA Hydro ESRS Appendix - Description of SHPs.pdf