- A solar-powered avocado processing facility planned for Rumuruti, Kenya, has reached full financing, marking a step forward for sustainable agricultural value chains in East Africa.
- The project, developed by AAAS Energy, raised $174,000 (EUR 150,000) from 97 investors through the crowdfunding platform bettervest.
The facility aims to strengthen Kenya’s avocado value chain while creating thousands of jobs and reducing carbon emissions. Led by Kenyan entrepreneur Peter Karanja in partnership with Dutch sustainable infrastructure firm AAAS Energy B.V., the plant will operate on a 200 kWp solar system expected to save around 256 tons of CO₂ annually.
The modern processing hub will feature cooling and storage units, sorting and packaging lines, and an avocado-oil extraction plant. It is designed to address severe post-harvest losses in Laikipia County, where farmers currently lose an estimated KES 3 billion in avocados each year due to insufficient cold-chain infrastructure.
By integrating smallholder farmers into a stable, export-oriented supply chain, the project is expected to support up to 400 households initially and eventually benefit as many as 64,000 people. Over time, the initiative could generate as many as 6,400 direct and indirect jobs.
Funding is being channelled through AAAS Kenya Project 1 Ltd., with risk-mitigation measures—including land pledges and assignment of lease revenues—established via the German special purpose vehicle Afrika Emissions 9 UG.
Karanja Orchard Ltd. will lease and operate the completed facility, processing both export-grade and non-exportable avocados into oil, purée, and frozen products for markets in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
AAAS director Maarten Mennes said the project will help reduce food waste while supporting the sustainable growth of Kenya’s avocado sector through clean, reliable solar power.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
