Kenya’s prowess in geothermal power came to the fore when the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) hosted Botswana President, Mokgweetsi Masisi at its Geothermal Power Complex in Olkaria, Naivasha,
Masisi who toured the complex located 50 kilometers from Nairobi on Wednesday lauded the country’s development in geothermal power.
Kenya is Africa’s number one geothermal energy producer and is among the top 10 in the world.
The country has a geothermal installed capacity of 685 MW with an estimated potential of 10,000MW along the Rift Valley. Currently this potential is being harnessed in Olkaria, Menengai and Eburru fields.
The country’s geothermal power capacity is expected to increase with expected completion of KenGen’s 165MW Olkaria V in the coming days. The development of Olkaria 1 AU Unit 6 is also under way.
Speaking during the visit, the President praised KenGen for the contribution it had made towards securing Kenya’s energy.
He pointed out that geothermal, being one of the sources of renewable energy, was the best option at a time when the world was grappling with the effects of climate change.
KenGen Managing Director and CEO, Mrs. Rebecca Miano, said the company has over the years developed a rich energy mix comprising hydro (819.9MW), geothermal (533.8MW), thermal (253.5MW) and wind (25.5MW).
“As a company, our focus is on renewable energy. So far, clean energy accounts for 84 percent of our power output. Our mission is to develop reliable, affordable, safe, quality and competitively priced electricity,” she said.
Currently, 70 percent of Kenya’s installed electricity is derived from renewable sources, which is more than three times the global average.
Mrs. Miano added that besides electricity generation, KenGen was also keen on offering expert services in energy matters such as sale of steam, provision of consultancy services, commercial drilling, heating and other services across Africa. In the near future, KenGen plans to expand into oil and mining.
She said the company had considerable wealth of experience and expertise in renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind and geothermal power.
She said the visit by the Botswana President coincided with the firm’s long-term strategy which included the development of regional partnerships. “We are actually exploring opportunities to drive growth beyond Kenya in electricity generation within the next six years,” she said.
JK/abj/APA