Irvines FeedMill, Tanzania
Spark Partners with Ariya to Finance Solar and Storage for Tanzanian Poultry Leader
Spark Energy Services (“Spark”) has entered the Tanzanian market through a partnership with renewable energy developer Ariya Finergy (“Ariya”), backing a cutting-edge solar and battery storage project for leading poultry producer, Irvine’s. The deal marks Spark’s eighth active market and underscores its growing footprint in African C&I clean energy.
Through the partnership, Ariya will design, build and operate a 1.5MWp solar project with 2MWh of battery energy storage (“BESS”) and advanced power stabilisation technology, delivering clean, affordable and reliable power to Irvine’s new feed mill in Tanzania.
Irvine’s is a regional poultry heavyweight, supplying day-old broiler chicks, animal feed and related products across Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Following an USD18m investment from Norfund in 2024, the company is deepening vertical integration across its value chain, including development of a new Tanzania feed mill. To power its expansion, Irvine’s chose Ariya as its technical partner, with Spark providing the capital to move the project to financial close.
Construction is expected to take around 6-9 months. Once operational, the system will supply approximately 2GWh of clean energy each year to Irvine’s under a ten-year lease, helping to cut energy costs, reduce diesel use and improve power reliability for one of East Africa’s key food producers. The project represents Ariya’s 76th project in the region, having deployed more than 25MWp in solar and 16MWh in storage since inception.
Testimonials
Ariya:
Troy Barrie, Chief Technology Officer for Ariya Finergy commented: By delivering uninterrupted, seamless power to Irvine’s new Tanzania feed mill, this project reduces the risks linked to grid outages and dependence on expensive diesel generators. For Irvine’s, where feed production supports its poultry operations across several countries, even short power cuts can affect the wider supply chain. By combining solar, battery storage and power stabilisation technology, the project improves energy reliability, controls costs and gives Irvine’s the confidence to scale its operations while strengthening regional food supply.
Spark:
Nambuya Imbega, Regional Manager for Spark commented: “For manufacturers in Tanzania, the gamechanger is not just cheaper power, it is power that doesn’t fail at the most critical times in production. At Irvine’s new feed mill, this solar-plus storage and power stabilization plant turns an unreliable grid into stable, low-carbon power, cutting diesel use and protecting production from outages, so that the company can focus on its core business - feeding a growing market.”
About Ariya Finergy
Ariya Finergy is East Africa’s leading provider of solar PV, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and power stabilisation solutions, specializing in turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) solutions.
About Spark Energy Services
Spark Energy Services (Spark) is an innovative finance platform created by Camco to support the deployment of captive generation and energy efficiency solutions in Africa’s C&I sector.
About Camco
Camco is a specialist climate and impact fund manager, leading the transition to a prosperous net zero future in emerging markets. It is an Accredited Entity of the Green Climate Fund and is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Camco has offices in Auckland, Helsinki, Johannesburg, London and Nairobi.
