Eden Exchange Program: George's visit to Grid X Africa

‘An overnight flight is a great idea’, I told myself as I walked to the gate of the 18:25 KQ101 flight to Nairobi. Full to the brim with vaccines, I was about to get the best 30 minutes of sleep ever. It didn’t matter; I arrived to a gorgeous Kenyan sunrise and on to my GridX Africa colleague Devoe’s lovely home. His enthusiasm and my excitement for the next couple of weeks gave me the boost I needed for the day.

We set off for the GridX offices, which I was not prepared for; quite frankly, it was a workers’ paradise. Please, feel free to set your laptop up on the balcony overlooking the swimming pool, or, down by the cosy outdoor seating where world class Kenyan coffee is on offer all day; it was very encouraging. I was warmly welcomed by the full GridX team and sat down with Devoe to discuss the work ahead.

Across the two weeks I spent with my new colleagues, I got stuck into a number of exciting projects; from supplying clean energy to Kenya’s globally renowned tea production facilities, to luxury Safari lodges and ambitious new residential and commercial complexes. Although working with the familiar solar and battery technology, GridX runs a different operation to Eden and it was refreshing to see this in action. Delivering projects across sub-Saharan Africa, GridX is a big player in the commercial and industrial (C&I) private wire game. Here the grid constraints that shackle the UK industry don’t apply.

I had the opportunity to see and support the process in full flow, from C&I Photovoltaic (PV) sizing to determining client proposals and deep diving into financial models all of which will no doubt be invaluable as Eden continues to develop in the equivalent UK C&I space. This work also fed my increasingly keen interest in the project finance side of renewable projects.

I couldn’t come all of this way without taking time to explore Kenya’s unique character. I had the pleasure of dabbling in Nairobi’s vibrant nightlife, before setting off for the Maasai Mara on an unforgettable Safari. There, I got my fill of the Big Five, seeing not one, but two leopards; I’ve heard this is practically a lifetime supply. Post-Mara, I took a four day trip down to the relentlessly beautiful Msambweni coast, where great food, music, people and sun awaited. The holiday blues on the flight home never hit so hard! 

I’m massively grateful to everyone who helped facilitate such an enjoyable and valuable experience; a huge thanks to both the GridX and Eden teams. I very much look forward to welcoming my Nairobi colleagues to London in the near future!