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Renewables hit 90pc of Kenyan power with new Sh13b solar power plant
he renewable energy sector in Kenya is among the most active in Africa. In Kenya, investment grew from virtually zero in 2009 to US$1.3 billion in 2010 across technologies such as wind, geothermal, small-scale hydro and biofuels. This is not saying that Kenya was never active in the renewable energy sector.
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President Uhuru Kenyatta Friday launched one of the largest solar power generation facilities in East Africa.
The Sh13 billion solar farm comprises 210,000 solar panels. The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation project was financed by China’s Exim Bank through a concessional loan arrangement.
That move now mean renewable energy, led by hydroelectricity, now makes up more than 90% of its power mix.
The government is increasing electricity generation and investing in Kenya’s power grid to keep up with growing demand and reduce frequent blackouts in the east African country. But Kenya’s solar energy is still small compared to other sources.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s office said the new solar plant, built by the state-run Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation, was the biggest in East and Central Africa. It will contribute 2% of Kenya’s energy mix.
Most of Kenya’s electricity is already generated by renewable sources with geothermal ranked the second-biggest source of installed power generation after hydroelectricity.
“The 50MW solar plant has increased the share of renewable energy in our energy mix to more than 90%,” Kenya’s Ministry of Energy said on Twitter.
Kenya ranks 40th worldwide in EY’s renewable energy country attractiveness index, which was issued in November.