Kenya doubles electricity sales to Uganda ahead of Rwanda supply
Kenya has more than doubled electricity sales to Uganda and looks to start supplying Rwanda by year end following the injection of additional geothermal power into the national grid.
Official data shows that Kenya exported 26.56 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) to Uganda and Tanzania in the year to July, up from 12.63 million kWh in the same period last year — a 110.2 per cent growth.
Uganda, which is pushing for increased trade with Kenya, bought the bulk of Kenya’s power exports at 25.33 million units while Tanzania imported 1.23 million units, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) data shows.
M-KOPA Solar connects 250,000 homes to power in East Africa
A local 'pay-as-you-go' off grid energy provider has announced connecting 250,000 homes across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to a solar power system.
M-Kopa Solar which provides payment plan for supply of a solar lighting system, a radio and phone charging apparatus said the achievement was in line with its target to connect one million customers by 2018 to its solar power systems.
The firm’s Managing Director and Co-Founder Jesse Moore said the growth in connected customers was satisfactory as the region renewed focus on renewable energy.
Sri Lanka's Sierra Cables to build plant in Kenya
Sri Lanka based Sierra Cables plans to set up a manufacturing plant in Kenya targeting East Africa’s power generation projects.
According to a filing sent to the Colombo Stock Exchange dated September 21, 2015, the firm had recently done a survey in Nairobi on the feasibility of setting up a cable manufacturing plant.
“Results from the feasibility study indicated favourable financial outcomes and a formal project report had been approved by the Board of Directors for implementation in the forthcoming months,” Sierra’s report reads in part.
Kenya signs nuclear power deal with China
Kenya has signed a deal with China as part of the east African nation’s plans to have a nuclear power station by 2025, the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board (KNEB) said Thursday.
Kenya plans to set up its a first nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1000 MW by 2025, the board said, with ambitions to boost that to 4000 MW by 2033, and to make nuclear electricity “a key component of the country’s energy” production.
The memorandum of understanding, signed in China, will enable Kenya to “obtain expertise from China by way of training and skills development, technical support in areas such as site selection for Kenya’s nuclear power plants and feasibility studies,” the KNEB statement said.
