Kipevu III Power Plant's output now raises Kenya’s electricity capacity by ten per cent, bringing it to 1,232 megawatts (MW).
President Kibaki, Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and other leaders termed the completion of the plant as a milestone in the country’s efforts to be attain self-sufficiency in energy.
Boosting energy production to support industrial growth is a key plank of the Vision 2030 economic blueprint.
The national electricity grid is now 115 megawatts richer following the completion and commissioning of a Sh10 billion power generation plant at Kipevu in Mombasa.
President Kibaki Tuesday symbolically switched on the Kipevu III Power Plant, whose output now raises the country’s electricity capacity by ten per cent, bringing it to 1,232 megawatts (MW).
Its planning and construction was part of an energy sector revamping scheme initiated by the Kenya Electricity Generation Company (KenGen) with the objective of raising power production in the country to support the economy.
President Kibaki, Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and other leaders termed the completion of the plant as a milestone in the country’s efforts to be attain self-sufficiency in energy.
The President said the project, constructed with funds raised through a local infrastructure bond floated by KenGen three years ago, was a good example of what can be attained through mobilising domestic funds to augment government resources.
“The participation by the citizens in this project confirms our people’s confidence in the infrastructure projects, which we are currently implementing,” the Head of State said.
Boosting energy production to support industrial growth is a key plank of the Vision 2030 economic blueprint, which envisages growth of electricity capacity to 21,000 MW in the next 17 years to provide for a projected peak of demand of 17,000 MW and a 23 per cent reserve.
By the expiry of the Vision 2030 timeline, it is anticipated that more than 90 per cent of Kenya’s population will be connected to power supply, largely from the national grid.
In the meantime, KenGen intends to raise its total generating capacity to 3,000 MW by 2014. This, together with 2,000 MW injected by independent power producers, will help address the energy shortfall.
The President said the government’s key strategy was to diversify the electricity generation mix with a focus on green energy sources such as solar, geothermal and wind power. “In this regard, we are putting considerable efforts in the development of these green sources of energy because they are relatively much cheaper in the long run and, therefore, more affordable than oil-based thermal generation,” he said.
Mr Murungi hailed KenGen for ensuring the project, which was stated in January 2012, was completed in time.
Whereas thermal generation of electricity is currently the most expensive, largely due to high prices of oil in the international market, this mode will be ideal for Kenya when it starts producing its own oil as anticipated.
“In a scenario where oil is to sourced locally, generation through this mode would end up being equally competitive. Besides, most power generation from oil normally uses heavy diesel, which is a by-product of the oil refining processes, an area in which Kenya is strategically positioning itself,” the minister said.
However, the country was also looking at possibilities of generating cheap electricity from natural gas which is more environmentally friendly, he added.
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