KenGen to add 63MW to grid by 2026

Engineers from KenGen work on one of the geothermal wells in Olkaria Naivasha. Kengen will pump an extra 86mw into the national grid in the next two months. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

The country's push for green energy has received a major boost with KenGen announcing plans to tap in an extra 63 megawatts of electricity into the national grid by June next year.

According to the power generation company, rehabilitation of the Olkaria I power plant was at 70 percent complete.

For the last two years, the power plant which is the oldest in the geothermal rich area has been undergoing rehabilitation by a Chinese company so as to double its power generation.

In a statement, KenGen Chief Executive Officer Peter Njenga announced the arrival of critical equipment for the geothermal power plant at the Olkaria geothermal complex.

"The planned Olkaria I project is expected to add 63MW of renewable energy to the national grid once completed and we are confident to commission the first turbine by June 2026," he said.

Eng Njenga said that two steam turbines and two generators destined for Units 2 and 3 of the facility have successfully been delivered to the project site after being shipped from Japan earlier this year.

"The timely arrival and installation of these critical components mark an important step in our mission to deliver affordable, reliable, and green energy to the people of Kenya," he said.

Njenga noted that when commissioned, the Olkaria I expansion was expected to improve electricity reliability, getting the country closer to its 100 percent clean energy target by 2030.

"We are conscious about our carbon footprint and that is why we are deliberate about our focus on green energy projects which are not only climate-sensitive but are also sustainable," he said.

Earlier, Njenga said that geothermal production accounted for more than 42 percent of the country's daily power consumption.

"Unlike hydropower, geothermal is resistant to weather, giving it a critical edge in times of drought and it has become the cornerstone of Kenya's long-term energy resilience strategy," he said.

Njenga added that the government was currently fast-tracking geothermal expansion projects in Olkaria, Menengai and other geothermal-active sites.

The power generating company, according to the CEO, had an eye on both domestic stability and regional exports under the Eastern Africa Power Pool.

"According to latest data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, geothermal accounts for more than 42 percent of Kenya's daily energy consumption with KenGen contributing over 33 percent from its geothermal power plants in Olkaria," he said.