The Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES)
Housed on a five hectare campus with adjacent 200 hectare farm in Kigali, Rwanda to undertake collaborative research, test new equipment, develop knowledge, training programmes and robust business models.
ACES is a first of a kind Centre of Excellence of its kind globally with a focus on holistic and sustainable system of systems cold-chain solutions. It is a uniquely situated 4-hectare headquarters campus (operated by the ACES Institute) in Kigali, and will be equipped with:
- a state of the art in-market technology test and demonstration centre;
- a fully equipped refrigeration (including refrigerants)
- a quality, safety, and postharvest management laboratory to conduct tests to evaluate and monitor quality, safety and storability potential of local crops, guaranteeing that they meet international and established standards;
- renovated conference hall and classrooms;
- an adjacent nearly 200-hectare model Smart Farm that will allow research of cooling in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and wider climate adaptation challenges including diversifying crop cultivation for increased farmers’ income and more resilient sustainable food systems, which will inform scaling of approaches to broader farming communities and food systems;
- collaborative undergraduate and teaching facilities established at IPRC Kigali.
For the health research programmes, ACES works in close collaboration with the RBC, across a wide range of projects and is in the process of establishing a second facility and joint ACES/RBC research office at Rwamagana District Hospital.
Africa SPOKEs
"SPecialised Outreach and Knowledge Establishment (SPOKE)"
Africa Clean Cooling Institute (ACCI) - the first SPOKE in Kenya is a reference SPOKE through which we are designing the SPOKE programme, building the delivery team and developing the toolkits for replication. The team will support the roll-out of SPOKEs into other markets. Through the CCI, we will offer technical assistance and training to successfully establish, operate and manage SPOKEs in other markets.
NB. Whilst using a clear structure and templates, the SPOKE programme will catalyse and support fit-for-market localisation and deployment of solutions throughout Africa, considering differing local needs, priorities, dynamics, challenges, and opportunities.
Whats happening at our Kenya SPOKE?
Our community cold-chain development programme is open for applications
5th Aug 2025
Smallholder farmer organizations operating within 200kms of Nairobi, Kenya are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in our next community cold-chain engagement programme. As an example of the programme’s success, the Lari cooperative has been able to earn – on average – over 50% higher return for their produce than previously due to their participation in the programme.
ACES SPOKE programme delivers farmers 50% uplift in return
30th Jul 2025
In March 2025, the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), in collaboration with the Clean Cooling Network, the Lari Horticultural Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited (LHFCSL), and key stakeholders, launched Kenya’s and Africa’s first “Try Before You Buy” (TBYB) sustainable cooling and cold-chain unit in Kinale, Lari Sub-County, Kiambu County.
