New agreement with Danish Embassy

The Danish Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, decided to finance 15 new Grundfos LIFELINK systems as a pilot project, the first of which will be started up by the summer of 2011.
The order is a result of the Climate Summit in Copenhagen 2009. The units are financed as part of Denmark’s bilateral development aid in connection with the ”Climate Change” programme. The programme totals about 400,000 Euro, according to Peter Todbjerg Hansen, Managing Director of Grundfos LIFELINK.

Preparations have started
The units will be located in 15 villages, thus contributing to procuring clean drinking water for up to 20,000 people.

- The number of units may vary a little, depending on construction costs and geological conditions on the sites. At the moment we are studying this. Preliminary examinations have already started and before long we shall be able to name the villages in which it will be possible to establish the units, Mr Todbjerg said.

Positive experience
Grundfos LIFELINK has already established water supply systems in a number of villages in Kenya and it is partly the positive experience from these that inspired the Danish Ambassador to choose Grundfos LIFELINK, said Geert Aagaard Andersen, the Danish Ambassador in Nairobi.

- We see that the inhabitants are using the existing units regularly, that the units strengthen the local communities in relation to environment and health, social and occupational activities. In the longer view they will provide a sustainable development of the villages, said Mr Andersen.

A Grundfos LIFELINK system consists of a pump, a solar unit driving the pump, and a payment system, according to which the users, by cell phones, pay a symbolic amount of money for the maintenance of the system.

Unique solution
The first systems are expected to be opened for use at the end of June. In addition to selling and installing the system, Grundfos LIFELINK is undertaking the preliminary examinations. They seem to be positive, which pleases the Danish Ambassador.

- The business model is unique and involved the local community. Furthermore, the system is transparent and so minimises the risk of the money ending up in the wrong pockets. This makes the business model very suitable for poor rural districts, said Mr Andersen.