Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Kenya: New Railway Line will Open Up Market for Geothermal Resources

Nairobi to Mombasa high-speed railway opens (CNN)

Second phase  will Link to Olkaria Geothermal Resources


East Africa is now more accessible than ever. After two years of construction, Kenya's largest infrastructure project since independence, a $3.8 billion Chinese-built high speed railway, is up and running.

It's around 300 miles long, connecting the port city of Mombasa to the capital of Nairobi. Built by China Road and Bridge Corporation and 90 percent financed by China Eximbank, it is the largest infrastructure project since independence in 1963.

"It's a big game changer," said Aly Khan Satchu, a financial analyst based in Nairobi, adding that it could provide new manufacturing and export potential for Kenya.

"We've got cheap geothermal power in Naivasha -- you can tap into that power," he said. "You can build your factories, you can put your goods on the railway, you can export it to Mombasa and you can access a three billion person market on the Indian Ocean economy."