Water Unite Impact Investment Vehicle, an investment company that promotes entrepreneurship in the water and sanitation sectors, has invested in Sanivation. The Kenya-based company converts faecal sludge into biomass briquettes. These fuels provide energy for heating and cooking in rural and urban households in Kenya.
Kenyan company Sanivation is receiving funding for its roll-out in Kenya. The funds come from Water Unite Impact Investment Vehicle, an investment company that supports private sector small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) specialising in water and sanitation. Water Unite Impact Investment Vehicle is a partnership between Water Unite and Wellers Impact.
The company Sanivation has developed a process that enables the transformation of faecal sludge into biomass briquettes. These fuels are sold to local industries who use them instead of wood, and to households for cooking. Sanivation also produces fuel for appliances. More than 2,500 tonnes of sludge are treated by Sanivation each year.
Reducing deforestation
Sanivation is planning to build new faecal sludge facilities in Kenya with funding from the Water Unite Impact Investment Vehicle. For each plant, the Kenyan company will employ up to 50 people.
Sanivation’s project will provide a cost-effective and sustainable sanitation solution for Kenyans to the problem of plastic pollution. The initiative will also contribute to offsetting deforestation in Kenya by “288,000 tonnes over 10 years through the reduction of tree cutting and carbon emissions from wood burning,” says Water Unite Impact Investment Vehicle.
Sanivation is the first company to benefit from Water Unite’s impact investment vehicle. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has also awarded a grant to the Kenyan company to deploy its sustainable faecal sludge management solution. This innovative sanitation system could be replicated in other cities in sub-Saharan Africa where the problem of sustainable faecal sludge management remains latent.
Inès Magoum
