The Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has set up its first battery storage for electricity, marking the start of a plan for saving of excess power generated during the day and use it at night, helping avert steep power bills tied to increased use of thermal power.
The 1.16 megawatt-hour (MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will serve the company’s 52-kilowatt modular data centre at its headquarters in Nairobi.
A BESS is an ensemble of rechargeable batteries that can store energy from different sources and discharge it when needed. It can also be used to balance the electric grid, provide backup power, and improve network stability.
A BESS stores excess electricity (geothermal, wind, and solar) that is produced during the day but is not used. The energy is then available when demand peaks in the evening, making it critical to Kenya’s efforts to ensure a reliable and affordable supply of power.
“By integrating battery storage into our data infrastructure, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint but also showcasing how energy utilities can lead in sustainable innovation,” said KenGen chief executive officer Peter Njenga.
Lack of BESS has seen Kenya miss out on excess wind and solar power, which is needed when demand peaks in the evening, highlighting the heavy price consumers pay due to the lack of a storage facility for the power generated during the day.
This has left Kenya grappling with shaky supplies when demand rises or heavily relying on thermal plants and imports from Ethiopia.
Kenya has for years relied on thermal power plants to meet the rising demand for electricity at night, largely due to lack of storage facilities to store excess energy generated during the day.
The maiden BESS is key to KenGen’s efforts to roll out similar storage facilities on a large scale, especially for the yet-to-be-constructed solar power plant in the Seven Forks scheme.
KenGen is targeting to set up 500 MWh of BESS in the next five years as the firm moves to curb instances where low demand for power during the day has forced the firm to curtail generation of geothermal electricity.
The energy regulator compelled geothermal power plants to cut output (curtail power production) by 511.72 Gigawatt-hours between July and December last year, to accommodate increased imports from Ethiopia.
Electricity curtailment is key to ensuring a stable grid, especially when demand is low, helping to avert the possibility of an overloaded transmission network, which can trip and lead to a blackout.
KenGen accounts for 80 percent (754MW) of Kenya’s total installed capacity for geothermal electricity, making the company the biggest loser in cases of forced curtailment of geothermal power.
The Ministry of Energy in 2022 declared that all new solar and wind power plants seeking to ink power purchase deals with Kenya Power must have a BESS. This is meant to enhance THE stability of the grid and wean off reliance on thermal plants during peak demand.
