Use of diesel power to end by December
Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi. Diversification will ensure the country moves from non-weather dependant mode of power generating. Photo/FILE
The government expects to phase out emergency power supply by the end of the year, Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi has said.
He said the alternative electricity was very expensive.
“Within the next one month, we are going to retire 140 megawatts of emergency power. The remaining 60 MW will be phased out by December,” said Mr Kiraitu.
Long time
The minister said Kenya has for a long time relied on hydro electricity as the main source of power.
He said this had resulted to perennial shortages whenever there are poor rains forcing the country to resort to expensive fossil fuel.
“We have resorted to this stop-gap measure several times in the last decade and for the last two-years,” said the minister.
He spoke in Naivasha, during the commissioning of the 35 megawatts Ol Karia II unit three power station on Tuesday.
The ministry with other stakeholders is working on ways to harness other clean sources of energy such as wind and solar to ensure power generation is done in an environmental friendly and sustainable manner.
Diversification will ensure the country moves from non-weather dependant mode of power generating.
Mr Kiraitu said although initial investment in geothermal power was comparatively high, it pays off in the long run by lowering bills.
“Indeed, geothermal power is now ranked the country’s least cost development plan in the continued electricity development,” said the Energy minister.
Not affected
He said economic benefit of investing in geothermal were enormous adding that it was abundant, renewable and not adversely affected by weather.
It is for this reason that the government set up the Geothermal Development Company GDC with a mandate of enhancing exploration.
“GDC will explore, drill and deliver ready steam fields to KenGen and all the independent power producers to invest in power plants without undergoing the upstream risk associated with geothermal exploration,” said Mr Kiraitu.
According to the minister, the country’s growing economy will require an additional 1,500 MW in the next three to four years, double the current capacity, to boost development agenda.
