The Kenyan government recently approved the construction of Olkaria VII geothermal power which will pump an extra 80.3 megawatts into the national grid.This is contrary to the initial plans to phase out geothermal power.
The project is a collaboration between the governments of Kenya, Japan and the European Investment Bank, with a projected completion by 2027.The cabinet has approved the multibillion-shilling project which will be undertaken by the state power producer KenGen. The plant is expected to tap into 19 geothermal production wells.
Due to increased demand by 100MW in the annual power, which has largely been attributed by the uptake of electric vehicles (EV`s), the electricity generating company has projected to require 334MW by 2032. “The country’s industrial strategy anticipates a need for over 1000MW in additional capacity within the same period, and the new power plant will come in handy to address the deficit” said KenGen.
Peter Njenga, chief executive officer, said that the project includes pumping an extra 1500MW into the national grid. He added that of the total amount, 800MW would be sourced from geothermal energy as the company gears towards increasing renewable energy while phasing out geothermal energy.
“In our 10year G2G strategy we are working to deliver 1500MW of electricity all from renewable sources, including geothermal, hydro, wind and solar,” he said that the power generating company plans to invest in a 500-hour storage system, targeting power from solar and wind energy.
“This exercise requires $4.3billion (kes.554.7 billion) and we are working with donors and development partners so that we can increase our installed capacity, which stands at 1726 MW” Mr. Njenga noted that the demand for electricity is on the rise and hence the need to increase production as more investors seek opportunities in the country.
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