Cambridge Industries

About Cambridge Industries

Cambridge Industries is a company focused on providing holistic waste management and renewable energy generation solutions, primarily in Africa. Since 2010, the company has worked on sustainable urban development, starting with waste collection and expanding to waste-to-energy facilities. A significant milestone for the company was the launch of Africa's first waste-to-energy plant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This flagship project, a $120 million investment, processes over 500 million kilograms of waste annually to generate more than 180 million kWh of electricity for the city's grid. The Reppie plant, as it is known, was designed to incinerate about 80% of the city's rubbish, equivalent to 1,400 tons daily, supplying power to 30% of its households. The project was led by Cambridge Industries in partnership with China National Electric Engineering Co (CNEEC).

The company's business model includes delivering comprehensive systems for managing municipal waste, from collection to its conversion into low-emission, renewable electricity and other useful byproducts like recycled metals and building materials. Its product lines are categorized under four pillars: CI Prevent™ (waste reduction plans), CI Recycle™ (transforming waste into resources), CI Recover™ (waste-to-energy facilities), and CI Minerals™ (recovering valuable minerals from waste streams). The CI Recover™ EnergySolution, for example, uses biological, chemical, and thermal processes to convert municipal waste into electricity and heat. The company's goal is to address the significant challenges of power deficits and waste management in rapidly urbanizing African cities. One of the founders is Samuel Alemayehu, a Stanford engineer and former Silicon Valley entrepreneur, who serves as the managing director.