Kenya has built its first solar-powered farm that turns ocean water into potable water. A non-governmental organization called Give Power, the project developers said the development aims to reduce problems relating access to clean water.
The solar powered farm is sited by the Indian Ocean in the village of Kiunga on the Eastern coast of Kenya. It is a region which has seen extreme drought for many years and denying the 3,500 residents access to hygienic drinking water.
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Solar water farm
The solar water farm will harvest solar energy which are able to produce 50 kilowatts of energy and power two water pumps that run 24 hours a day and it turns salty water safely into drinkable water.
It is expected to provide 20 years of access to clean water and it is reportedly and benefit over 25,000 people daily
“Humanity needs to take swift action to address the increasingly severe global water crisis that faces the developing world. With our background in off-grid clean energy, GivePower can immediately help by deploying solar water farm solutions to save lives in areas throughout the world that suffer from prolonged water scarcity,” said president of GivePower, Hayes Barnard.
With a population of 50 million, 41% of Kenyans still rely on unimproved water sources, such as ponds, shallow wells and rivers, while 71% of Kenyans use unimproved sanitation solutions. These challenges are especially evident in the rural areas and the urban slums. Only 9 out of 55 public water service providers in Kenya provide continuous water supply, leaving people to find their own ways of searching for appropriate solutions to these basic needs.
