NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 26 – The Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has reported a 5.6 percent increase in the amount of electricity generated through its hydropower stations exceeding its 581-Megawatt hour (MWh) monthly projections.
This was revealed in a report by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), which showed that the total installed hydro capacity of the Gitaru, Kindaruma, Samburu, and Kiambere power stations currently stands at 826 megawatts (MW).
The stations are part of the Seven Forks cascade which forms a crucial component of KenGen’s power generation infrastructure
Additionally, the report noted that Kenya’s demand for electricity this week had risen to an all-time high of 2,036 MW, the highest it has ever recorded since March 2020.
Commenting on the results, KenGen Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rebecca Miano said that the numbers indicated the company’s commitment, through their renewable energy sources, to meet the growing demand for electricity by Kenyans.
“We are committed to ensuring a steady and reliable supply of competitively priced energy to support Kenya’s economy. We are doing this by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy sources such as hydro, geothermal, wind, and solar,” Miano said.
KenGen’s further recorded a new energy gross demand peak of 36,381 MWh that was mostly drawn from renewable energy sources.
Miano added that the numbers meant the company was committed to joining the Kenyan government in the fight against climate change.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, during his visit to Glasgow for the Climate Change Conference (COP26), said that Kenya was aiming to transition to clean energy by the year 2030, in order to reduce carbon emissions from the energy sector.
He noted that renewable energy currently accounts for 73 percent of Kenya’s installed power generation capacity while 90 percent of electricity in use is from green sources among them geothermal, wind, solar and hydro-electric installations.
“…the energy sector accounts for three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions. The critical challenge, therefore, is how to reduce carbon emissions from the energy sector while ensuring that all people have access to clean energy.,” Kenyatta said.
“We are on course to achieve our target of 100 percent use of clean energy by 2030 and to achieve 100percent access to clean cooking by 2028,” he added.
Miano reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting the Government’s ambition to achieve 100 percent utilization of renewable energy by the year 2030 as a way of fighting climate change.
“Our future project pipeline is mostly green which includes geothermal, wind, hydro, and solar. The projects will be implemented in phases with the first, 83MW Olkaria I unit 6 expected to be commissioned by end of this year,” she said.
