Greek's Amaco partners with US firm for planned Kenya data centre

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Amaco Energy Group has partnered with US giant firm GE Vernova to support the proposed construction of a $1.5 billion (Sh194.2 billion) smart power system to energise an artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in Mombasa.

The US firm will supply gas turbines to Amaco’s Hercules project that is set to develop integrated energy infrastructure supporting industrial growth, digital transformation and next-generation data-centre development in Kenya and across East Africa.

The project is designed to combine scalable power generation, electrification and digital infrastructure in response to rapidly growing demand from industry and the AI-driven digital economy.

It will integrate GE Vernova gas turbines into the Hercules power barge facility.

In gas power specifically, GE Vernova holds the world’s largest installed base of gas turbines, with more than 7,000 units representing over 800 GW of capacity across more than 120 countries.

The Hercules is pursuing strategic cooperation across Kenya and East Africa with organisations and institutions operating across integrated industrial parks, Special Economic Zones(SEZ), ports and logistics, ICT and digital infrastructure, AI and data centres, banking and financial services, technology, government infrastructure and professional organisations.

 “Our objective is to develop strategic partnerships that bring together global technology, reliable energy infrastructure and the rapidly growing requirements of industry and the digital economy across Kenya and East Africa,” said Dr Theodore Theodoropoulos, Group chief executive officer of Amoco Energy Group.

Recently, Theodore held talks with ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo while in Nairobi on the proposed data centre.

He said the project is eyeing either Dongo Kundu or Kilindini in Mombasa, which have emerged as strategically important locations for the potential deployment of the Hercules platform.

Theodore said the current industrial development pipeline indicates approximately 75 megawatts (MW) of potential base-load demand, primarily from heavy industry, with an additional potential demand of approximately 75MW–100MW that could emerge from the development of initial data-centre customers.

“Together, this creates a potential market for up to over 175MW of electricity capacity, providing the basis for a diversified and progressively scalable energy platform supporting industrial and digital development,” said Theodore.

He said the company is interested in engaging with industrial, digital and infrastructure stakeholders regarding potential long-term Power Purchase Agreements(PPAs), to establish a reliable power supply framework supporting industrial growth, digital infrastructure, AI data centres, port development and the expansion of the SEZ.