Kevin Speaks at EACC

Powder Coating Technology in East Africa

This month I have the privilege of delivering a presentation at the 2019 East Africa Coatings Congress which is being held in Nairobi and is sponsored by dmg events Group. This organization is headquartered in Dubai and produces coatings technology conferences throughout Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. They also publish Asia Pacific Coatings Journal (APCJ) and Polymers Paint Colours Journal (PPCJ) out of the UK. The East Africa Coatings Congress is a two day event that includes a conference and exhibition that cover a myriad of topics and areas of emerging coatings technology.

The conference agenda includes everything from decorative paint tinting systems to titanium dioxide price escalation and lead pigment abatement and even powder coatings. My presentation, entitled, “Powder Coating Technology for the 21^st Century” is the only one addressing powder. It is somewhat unsurprising as I have traveled to Kenya in the past and have witnessed how early their industrial market is in its development. In 2013 I assisted the start-up of Burn Manufacturing which is a “clean cookstove” operation. It is now a bustling producer of one stove per minute for a total of over 550,000 units since initiating operations.

To put Kenya’s industrial output in perspective, their economy is estimated to be 62.5% services, 24.2% agriculture and 14.8% industrial. Kenya’s economy is growing at a rather robust 5.8% CAGR amidst erratic inflation that has recently bounced from 4.4% in March 2019 to 6.6% this April. Another bellwether statistic: Google “Kenya Powder Coating” and three enterprises pop up in this country of nearly 50 million people. When I visited in 2013 there was only one powder shop. So growth exists albeit at a somewhat slow pace.

The establishment of Burn Manufacturing is a bright spot in Kenya’s industrial growth and is emblematic on how a fledgling enterprise can flourish and become model for other ventures to launch their businesses. The concept was borne by Peter Scott, a visionary expert in clean and efficient cookstove technology. With a design team located on Vashon Island near Seattle, Washington, Burn developed a low cost, highly efficient cookstove that used a fraction of the fuel (sticks, dung or charcoal) typically used to cook food in developing countries. Initially the United Nations funded the project and later industry stalwarts such as GE, ACUMEN and Winrock International and governmental funding from US Dept. of Energy, OPIC and USAID allowed Burn to set up manufacturing operations just outside Nairobi.

The benefits of efficient cookstove technology cannot be understated. Reducing the need for fuel by over 65% not only impacts household budgets, but also minimizes deforestation and the need for women to venture daily on dangerous long journeys to collect sticks for fuel. Furthermore, the efficient combustion of these cookstoves significantly reduces the generation of smoke thereby providing health benefits to women and their children. All these benefits are captured in this everyday appliance that has a savings payback of 2 to 3 months.

The powder coating industry impacts this remarkable product technology by being the finish of choice for each and every Jiko (cookstove) produced by Burn’s avid workforce. Not only has this enterprise provided good, high paying jobs to 50 local people, it also has been an advocate for women’s employment as half the staff are women.

I am therefore fortunate to have provided a modest amount of technical guidance and advice on the first OEM using powder coatings in Kenya. Hopefully this will be model for numerous future industrial operations in East Africa. It will be fascinating and informative to participate in the 2019 East Africa Coatings Congress. Manufactured goods typically require a good, durable finish for aesthetics and to ensure product longevity. Powder coatings bring not only high performance but also value and favorable environmental impact.