Severin Green Building

Innovation & Sustainability

You’ve already noticed for sure that environmental protection and Corporate Social Responsibility is the fundamental aim of Severin Sea Lodge. With that in focus we have built an advanced technology and training center with the project name “Green Building” on our premises. The innovative concept was developed in cooperation with engineers from Kenya and Germany and built by a Kenyan construction company. The integration of renewable energy for hot water generation combined with a powerful water desalination plant and sustainable waste water and solid waste management ensures the efficient and sustainable use of energy, water and waste at Severin Sea Lodge. Additionally, the building comprises an ultra-modern hotel laundry, bright changing and recreation rooms with canteen for our staff and a spacious material store. Underneath please find some more information:

1) Solar heat – our contribution to climate protection
By using renewable energy from the sunlight, 134 high-power solar collectors installed on the hotel’s roof are heated. Heat from these solar collectors is transferred via two heat exchanging devices on cold water to heat up water in storage tanks, supplying the entire hotel with adequate hot water. The process can be remotely controlled via internet. Only during extended periods of low sunshine additional heating by electricity is carried out. However, due to long periods of sunshine at the coast, we mainly use solar energy to heat water for hotel use. With this savings of fossil energy, which would otherwise have extremely negative effects on the global climate, we contribute significantly to environmental protection.

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2) The water desalination plant of the hotel
For running the hotel Severin Sea Lodge needs – according to occupancy – between 80.000 to 100.000 liters of fresh water daily. But due to an inadequate and dilapidated water reticulation infrastructure, regular supply can’t be guaranteed by the public water network. The quality of water supplied by water bowsers cannot be guaranteed as their water source is unknown hence is not an option for water supply. Therefore, we have built our own water desalination plant with a capacity of 15,000 liters per hour within the Green Building. The drinking water that is produced by reverse osmosis and according to WHO standards is pumped into the existing water supply of the hotel. With this investment, we can supply you with clean drinking water at any time and, with the excess water that is produced at the facility, we are also able to provide the local public with potable water.

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3) Waste water and waste recycling at the hotel The hotel-owned biological waste water treatment plant was put into operation at Severin Sea Lodge in 1991 and was the first at the Kenyan coast. Because we knew early that sufficient fresh water resources in Kenya are non-existent, we have put in place this plant to follow our main aim of environmental protection and sustainability. The facility treats all waste water generated from the rooms and public areas. The treated waste water is afterwards reused for watering plants. Water consumption of the hotel is thereby reduced drastically. Additionally, the garbage building adjacent to the Green Building comprises of a solid waste sorting facility for the solid waste generated at the hotel. Solid waste is separated into organic and inorganic waste thus enabling recycling of paper, metal, plastics and glass, resulting in beneficial effects to the ecosystem at the coast. More details

4) The Craftsmen Training Center
Within the Green Building you will also find five training workshops for craftsmen professions including training classrooms. It aims to teach less of theory and more emphasis is given to imparting manual skills, with an immediate benefit to the local population of Mombasa. Classes and training courses are offered for electricians, plumbers, masons, carpenters and metalworker. As there is a high demand for well trained skilled staff, the graduates won’t have any problems finding a job in the region of Mombasa or they may opt to start their own craftsman enterprise.

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