……….Clean Energy Sources Generates 92.3% of Electricity in Kenya
Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has said that the country’s electricity access is now 76.49%, with 8.2 million consumers connected. According to EPRA, this is the highest connectivity rate in the East Africa region.
According to the organization’s “2021 Energy and Petroleum Statistics Report,” released last weekend, compared to Kenya, only 24% of Uganda’s 40 million people had access to electricity in January 2021, whereas Tanzania plans to double its electrification rates to 75% by 2033.
EPRA said this is a big boost towards the attainment of Vision 2030 which seeks to transform Kenya into a newly industrializing, middle-income economy and leader in East Africa.
In the same report, EPRA said Kenya had 876,961 households connected to the grid by May 2021. It also said that renewable energy generated 92.3 of Kenya’s electricity in 2020, with geothermal, hydro, and wind contributing 43.6, 36.5, and 11.5% respectively.
Thermal sources generated only 6.5% of total electricity in 2020. “Kenya’s energy sector has grown and developed tremendously since independence, with paradigm shifts in utility regulations and structures in the electricity and petroleum sub-sectors occurring over time,” said EPRA Director-General Daniel Kiptoo.
The success of wind power development was cemented with the commissioning of Kipeto Energy Limited’s 100MW wind power plant. In addition, the commissioning of additional Selenkei Solar and Kian-thumbi Hydropower plants, with installed capacities of 40MW and 0.5MW, respectively, boosted renewable energy generation.
KenGen, accounts for 62.98% of the country’s effective generation capacity, with IPPs accounting for 35.95%. The remaining 1.07% comes from isolated grid generation under the Rural Electrification Program. The country’s electricity transmission and distribution network covered 248,834km by June 2021.
EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo said Kenya has emerged as a leader in the adoption of renewable energy in Africa and beyond.
By Chidi Ekpewerechi
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