PIDG invests to scale an innovative waste-to-energy treatment plant initiative in Kenya
14th January 2026
Naivasha, Kenya: The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) has today announced a USD 3.3m equity investment to finance the expansion of Sanivation Ltd.’s innovative waste-to-value offering in Kenya. Sanivation, in partnership with Nakuru County, established a pilot project in 2018, transforming human waste into solid fuel briquettes for use in industrial heating. PIDG’s investment - made through its project development solution, InfraCo - will support the construction of the Naivasha Treatment Plant expansion (NTPx), enabling Sanivation to significantly expand its briquette production and waste management capacity. PIDG has provided a further USD 500,000 grant to the project, through its technical assistance solution.
CEO and Co-founder of Sanivation, Emily Woods said “This investment marks a turning point, not just for Sanivation, but for how sanitation infrastructure can be delivered across Kenya and the region. With PIDG’s support, we’re scaling a model that transforms waste into clean energy, enabling financial sustainability while safeguarding our environment and empowering our communities.”
Sanivation treats collected faecal sludge, combining it with waste products from local sawmills and agricultural industries. The process produces solid fuel briquettes which can burn for longer, and more efficiently, than traditional firewood. Sanivation’s briquettes reduce the cost of energy for industrial customers by 10-30%.[i] By treating waste equivalent to that produced by 100,000 to 130,000 households, Sanivation will reduce pressure on existing wastewater treatment facilities and will prevent pollution of land around Lake Naivasha, and of the lake itself.
PIDG Head of Business Development (Africa) for InfraCo, Omar Jabri, said “Sanivation presents an exciting investment for PIDG in the waste-to-value space. By demonstrating the importance of adopting a circular economy approach to waste treatment across Kenya and the wider region, we anticipate that the Naivasha Treatment Plant expansion will attract future private sector finance into this emerging sector. PIDG is committed to supporting sustainable economic development whilst urgently addressing the impacts of climate change and nature loss. By reducing costs for industrial customers whilst decreasing pollution of the local environment, Sanivation dovetails well with our strategy.”
Operations are expected to commence at the expanded Naivasha Treatment Plant in 2027.
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Notes for editors
Naivasha has a population of 224,000 people. [ii]
80% of Naivasha is non-sewered, and the majority of faecal sludge is not safely treated or disposed of. [iii]
The existing water treatment facility is operating significantly above its design capacity. [iv]
The Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) PIDG is an innovative infrastructure project developer and investor which mobilises private investment in sustainable and inclusive infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa and south and southeast Asia. PIDG investments promote socio-economic development within a just transition to net zero emissions, combat poverty and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PIDG delivers its ambition in line with its values of pioneering, partnership, safety, inclusivity, and urgency. PIDG offers technical assistance for upstream, early-stage activities and concessional capital; invests in early-stage project development and project and corporate equity through its project development solution, InfraCo; its debt solution EAAIF (the Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund) is one of the first and more successful blended debt funds in low-income markets; and its guarantees solution, GuarantCo, provides credit enhancement and local currency solutions to de-risk projects. PIDG also supports a growing portfolio of local credit enhancement facilities, which unlock domestic institutional capital for infrastructure financing. Since 2002, PIDG has supported 258 infrastructure projects to financial close, which provided an estimated 232 million people with access to new or improved infrastructure. PIDG is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia and Sweden, and Global Affairs Canada. www.pidg.org
Sanivation: Sanivation is a mission-driven sanitation infrastructure developer and operator that delivers safe, inclusive, and sustainable sanitation services to urbanizing communities in low-income countries. Operating in Kenya since 2014, Sanivation partners with local governments to design, implement, and monitor safely managed sanitation systems that improve public health, environmental outcomes, and urban resilience. Sanivation’s work spans the full sanitation value chain, integrating technical expertise with market-based approaches to ensure lasting service delivery. With a deep understanding of local context and a commitment to scalable, dignified solutions, Sanivation has supported the development of five treatment plants to date. Our approach combines innovation, partnership, and practical execution to address the urgent need for resilient sanitation infrastructure. To find out more visit: www.sanivation.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
Lorna McNae, Senior Communications Manager, PIDG
[i] Internal documentation.
[ii] About Us – NGCDF Naivasha Constituency Accessed 27.05.25
[iii] SuSanA Library - Sustainable Sanitation Alliance - SuSanA SFD report prepared by Sanivation – Naivasha sub-county, Kenya, Updated in February 2019. Accessed 28.10.25
[iv] SuSanA Library - Sustainable Sanitation Alliance - SuSanA SFD report prepared by Sanivation – Naivasha sub-county, Kenya, Updated in February 2019. Accessed 28.10.25