Transforming livelihoods and mitigating climate change through off grid solar cold rooms in Kenya

Rationale

Despite high agricultural and fisheries potential in Kenya, poverty levels are very high due to low incomes for smallholder farmers, fishing communities and traders who suffer huge post-harvest losses. Modern cold chain technology has the potential to significantly improve livelihoods by opening up new markets for produce, reduce post-harvest losses, increase profits and ensure food security.

This project will pilot a solar powered Phase Change Material-based cold room for use by farmers, fishing communities and small-scale traders. It will also support the growth of enterprises providing this technology and its accessibility through linkages to affordable green funds. 

Objectives

This project will aim to:

•    Demonstrate the potential of Phase Change Material technology to a level in which it can be endorsed and/or adopted by Government authorities and cooling sector enterprises.

•    Establish the required knowledge and capacity among government authorities and cold cooling sector stakeholders to implement solar Phase Change Material technology for cold chains.  

•    Identify and/or catalyse additional funding to implement solar Phase Change Material technology for cold chain at scale.
 

Activities:

To achieve these outcome the project will:

•    Conduct a high-level hybrid project launch and SLCP awareness workshop for stakeholders.   
•    Build two off-grid Phase Change Material cold rooms based on a Thermal Energy Storage system in Siaya County, Kenya.    
•    Provide training for government, private enterprises, end users, and other stakeholders on Phase Change Material technology for cold chain.  
•    Provide support provided to government authorities and cold chain enterprises to access additional funding sources.  

Project reference - CLG-23-003 - Transforming livelihoods and mitigating climate change through off grid solar cold rooms in Kenya