This analysis argues that Kenya’s power sector will eventually have to confront the technical and policy demands of a grid with far more renewable energy than it carries today.
Power engineers are already familiar with the core problem: electricity networks built around conventional plants are not designed to absorb large amounts of variable generation without adjustments. The article says that, for now, Kenya has not had to deal with the issue at scale, largely because the pressure is unlikely to peak for another 10 to 15 years.
Studies cited in the piece suggest that renewables can supply up to 20 per cent of demand without forcing major changes to how the system is operated. Beyond that point, however, the value of renewable output begins to fall unless policy and system coordination improve.
The article points to several costs that would rise as wind, tidal and other variable sources take a bigger share of the mix. These include cycling losses from repeated start-ups and shut-downs of thermal plants, reserve costs needed to handle sudden changes, and discarded energy when supply exceeds what the grid can safely absorb while still maintaining control and reserve margins.
Solar, wind and tidal power are described as high-capital, low-operating-cost sources. That makes them attractive as long-term base options when their output is available, but the piece also notes that solar and wind remain intermittent and therefore need extra support to remain reliable.
Looking ahead to a future smart national grid, the article argues that renewables should be maximised first, with energy-limited plants helping to back up variable sources and capacity-limited plants used as sparingly as possible. It also says hydrogen produced from renewable energy could be used to support the remaining capacity-limited plants, while also serving as portable fuel for transport and industrial use.
The author, KENNEDY CHESOLI, is identified as a practising electrical engineer, an Energy and Regulatory Board-registered graduate engineer and a lead energy auditor.
