Electricity demand rises to record high of 2,362MW

Kenya's daily electricity demand hit a record high of 2,362.28 MW on July 23, driven by industrial expansion, increased urbanisation, and rising domestic energy use.

According to the latest data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), this was an increase from 2,325MW recorded on July 2 this year.

KenGen geothermal and hydropower delivered the lion’s share of energy to the national grid, with its geothermal plants generating 13,678.35 megawatt-hours (MWh) that accounted for 31.85 per cent of total energy supplied.

Hydropower stations delivered 10,915.93MWh (25.42 per cent) of the national output even as the power generation company moved into the phase-out of thermal power.

“Combined, these sources accounted for over 57 per cent of Kenya’s daily electricity generation, underscoring KenGen’s strategic role in delivering clean, reliable, and affordable power,” said Epra in a statement.

KenGen chief executive Peter Njenga, plans were underway to supply an extra 1,500MW into the national grid in the next 10 years.

“In our 10-year strategy, we are working to deliver 1,500MW of electricity all from renewable sources, including geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Njenga said that KenGen was supporting five African countries in geothermal exploration as part of its commitment to phasing out thermal power.

Tanzania and Zambia are the latest countries to receive support from KenGen, which boasts of technological savvy and decades-old expertise in geothermal exploration.

According to the CEO, KenGen had been awarded exploration rights in Zambia and Tanzania while drilling was ongoing in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eswatini.

He said KenGen would deploy its technological support and decades-old expertise to assist the five countries' transition to clean energy sources.

“We successfully supported Ethiopia and Djibouti, and our next stop is Eswatini, which has high potential for geothermal energy,” he said.

Njenga said the company was on course in the rehabilitation of the old Olkaria 1 power plant, which, once complete, will see it increase its power generation from the current 45MW to 63MW.

"The rehabilitation of the old Olkaria 1 power plant is 50 percent complete, and it aims to add 18MW more to our national grid from the current 45MW to 63MW by 2026," said Njenga.