KenGen eyes 2,000MW from geothermal, hydro sources

Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) plans to scale up the deployment of renewable energy in the country by adding 3,000MW, in a new campaign that will see 2,000MW drawn from geothermal and hydro sources, as a way to diversify from expensive thermal sources. 

The electricity generator also says it has put in place plans to optimise the existing hydro sources even as it pushes for the development of new hydropower stations and expansion of existing ones, particularly within the Tana River basin. 

KenGen’s acting Managing Director Abraham Serem said the company will be seeking to rehabilitate its existing power plants to make them more efficient for a sustainable generation.
“So far we have only exploited about 0.9GW of the 10GW geothermal potential and that is why a huge chunk of the additional capacity will be drawn from geothermal,”  said Mr Serem.

“Our focus going forward is to secure the baseload capacity to stabilize Kenya’s energy supply mainly from green renewable energy.” 

Technology

The company also says it plans to leverage on new technology to rehabilitate its oldest geothermal power plant, the 45MW Olkaria I, to increase its generation capacity to more than 60MW. 
“We will also be rolling out plans to up-rate the turbines for the Olkaria I additional units 4 and 5 and Olkaria IV power plants to increase their output by an additional 40MW,” said Mr Serem.

The cost of electricity has been rising on the back of high oil prices and a weak shilling.
This has burdened Kenyans who are already contending with the high cost of living, with inflation at an all-record high.

The increasing fuel and foreign exchange components of the power bills have been responsible for pushing up the cost of living.