This archive report was first published on 24 January 2022.
Kenya's push towards renewable energy has seen significant progress, with state-owned power producer Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) at the forefront. As of 2021, KenGen was generating 706 MW from geothermal energy.
On December 2021, the company announced that the construction of the 83 megawatts (MW) Olkaria 1 Unit 6 geothermal plant was nearly complete and expected to be added to the grid in early 2022.
According to KenGen Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Miano, the plant will help drive down the cost of electricity in Kenya by displacing thermal energy while meeting the country's growing demand for electricity.
“KenGen is committed to ensuring a steady and reliable supply of competitively priced electric energy to support Kenya's economy. The company is doing this by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy sources such as hydro, geothermal, wind and solar,” Miano said.
KenGen's shift to renewable energy has been praised by Energy Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, who noted that it would help attract foreign investments in Kenya's energy sector.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has also emphasized the importance of transitioning to clean energy, with a target of 100 percent use of clean energy by 2030 and 100 percent access to clean cooking by 2028.
