Kenya: Solar Energy May Be Just What Kenya Needs for Industrial Take-Off
When President Uhuru Kenyatta reconstituted the Rural Electrification Authority board recently and appointed me chairman, I joined a team that was committed to enhancing the authority's contribution towards achieving Kenya's development goals.
We are faced with a number of questions on how best to do this, including what we can do to ensure Kenya exploits its solar energy and how the country is faring in the use of solar energy, compared with other countries.
In answering these questions, we began by focusing on the basic logic that informed the establishment of REA, which was to ensure Kenyans in the rural areas are given a chance to access electricity for their advancement. That is why REA has embarked on the one-solar-panel-per-home campaign in regions that are far from the national grid.
Kenya edges closer to adoption of nuclear power
You may soon begin using power generated from nuclear sources as Kenya engages speed gear in the establishment of a nuke plant.
The plan is set to diversify Kenya's electricity generation mix.
An 11-member team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency are in Nairobi for feasibility analysis on critical areas on the investment and advise the country accordingly.
Energy and Petroleum Principal Secretary Joseph Njoroge said the country’s population was growing fast and the available energy sourcing options were fast depleting hence the decision to go nuclear.
Developing nations need Sh13 trillion geothermal investment by 2030
Kenya and Turkey have exceeded forecasts for harnessing geothermal energy, but other developing countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, are lagging behind on leveraging the renewable power source, a new analysis shows.
If developing nations are to carry out the planned expansion of geothermal energy capacity, $133 billion (Sh13.7 trillion) needs to be invested in the sector by 2030, the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) research group reported on Wednesday.
Meeting the target to build 23GW of geothermal capacity over the next 15 years (one GW is enough energy to power 750,000 homes) would require a 7- to 10-fold increase in funding from governments and development financing bodies, the CPI said.
Firm sets up Africa’s largest biogas plant
A Sh765 million biogas plant being set up in Naivasha will generate 2.2 megawatts of power when in operation.
Speaking at the commissioning of the project on Friday, Tropical Power managing director Johnnie McMillan said the new anaerobic digester (AD) will sell 50 per cent of its electricity to Gorge Farm and the balance to Kenya Power for hook into the national grid.
Mr McMillan said 50,000 tonnes of organic waste will be consumed per year by the plant.
“More than 35,000 tonnes output from the process could be used as rich, natural fertiliser to improve the crop yield for local farms,” he said.
