Hydro-power falls to 20 month low as drought ravages the country

The amount of water-generated electricity has dipped to a 20-month low as drought continues to ravage different parts of Kenya.

Data from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) shows that hydropower generation plunged to 299 million kilowatt hours (kWh) last month, from 314.9 million units in November and 356.8 million units a month earlier.

The cuts in the cheaper hydropower has put electricity bills on an upward swing due to increased use of expensive diesel-generated power.

Electricity bills have increased for three months consecutively, hitting a 16-month high this month due to Kenya Power’s increased uptake of expensive thermal power for supply to consumers amid a steep drop in hydropower.

The fuel cost levy, which is paid to diesel power generators, rose to Sh2.93 per kWh in January from Sh2.85 per unit a month earlier and Sh2.34 in November.

Energy ministry officials have warned of a further sharp rise in the price of electricity should the drought persist, depressing hydroelectric dam water levels. Energy secretary Charles Keter said that power bills could hit a 26-month high in March if the drought persists with the fuel levy expected to hit Sh3.52 per unit.

At 299 million units in December, Kenya’s hydropower generation is the lowest since April 2015.

The drop saw hydropower account for only 35 per cent of the energy mix consumed by Kenyans in December, down from 37 per cent a month earlier and 41 per cent in November.

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To compensate for this shortfall, thermal power is up to 18.6 per cent from 18.3 per cent in November and 15 per cent a month earlier.

Because thermal power is expensive, it is only produced when there is a shortage of cheaper hydropower and available geothermal energy has been fully injected into the grid.

The drought has affected the Seven Forks hydro stations on Tana River —Kenya’s main supplier of hydropower and Sondu Miriu hydro station in Kisumu.

Power generation at the stations has almost been halved to 6.5 million kWh daily, down from about 12 million units when the dams are full, according to power producer KenGen, the operator of the Seven Forks.

Hydropower is Kenya’s cheapest electricity source at Sh3 per unit, but its output is often depressed by erratic weather, followed by geothermal (Sh7) while thermal tops Sh20.