Kenya bets on steam sources for power export in two years

Kenya plans to export surplus power to South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda by the end of 2016, Energy and Petroleum ministry has said.

Energy secretary Davis Chirchir told journalists in Nairobi the construction of transmission lines to connect Kenya’s electric grid to neighbours will be completed in two years. 

“Any excess power will be exported to the neighbouring states that will face production deficits,” he said.

Mr Chirchir said by the end of year, Kenya’s installed capacity will hit 2,300 megawatts up from 1600MW at the beginning of 2013.

Kenya plans to add 140MW of geothermal power in the next two months, and has an ambitious plan to connect at least 5000MW of power to the national grid in the next 40 months.

READ: KenGen adds 140MW geothermal power to grid

The key demand drivers for the power will be the steel and iron industries, information and communication parks as well as standard gauge railway.

The ministry will partner with the Nairobi government to light up streets.  

“This will accelerate the push to achieve a 24-hour economy,” Mr Chirchir said.

Energy principal secretary Joseph Njoroge said the cost of power is set to reduce by 40 per cent in the next one year.

“We will achieve this by exchanging fossil fuel generation with geothermal power,” he said. 

“The economy is expected to approximately grow by $314 million annually by avoiding use of petroleum-based power generation.”