80
N. Kidunduhu
SA’s energy landscape is illustrative of African countries that are coaldependent but also have formidable renewable energy resources. Such
countries have an opportunity to utilize their renewable energy sources
to diversify their energy mix, particularly by deploying them in the enduse sectors (such as power generation) that hitherto relied on coal, as part
of their transition pathway.
B. Kenya
Kenya is located in the east of the continent. It covers a total surface
area of 580,367square kilometers.
32 Kenya has a temperate climate
in its inland, tropical climate in its coast and an arid climate in its
northern region.
33 As of 2018, it was estimated to have a population
of 51.4Million, 73% of whom live in its rural areas.
34
Kenya’s Energy Resources and Supply
Traditional renewable resources (bioenergy) has been Kenya’s chief source
of supply accounting for 76% of the total energy supply, followed by oil
and oil products at 17%.
35
Kenya has remarkable renewable energy sources which it has
deployed in electricity generation. As at 30 June 2019, Kenya had an
installed electricity generation capacity of 2,712 MW comprising of
hydro (826 MW), thermal (808 MW), geothermal (663 MW), wind
(336 MW), biomass/cogeneration (28 MW) and solar (51 MW).
36
Future ambitions for the sector are detailed in Kenya’s Least Cost
Power Development Plan (LCPDP), its Vision 2030 document as well as
the Power Sector Medium-Term Plan (PSMTP). From the documents,
the country has seen an increased demand for electricity over the last
few years. The peak demand shot up from 1,236 MW in 2011/12 to
1912 MW in 2019. Additionally, Kenya plans to surpass 5221 MW
32 World Bank, ‘Kenya’, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator, accessed 30 August 2019.
33 Ibid.
34 Ibid. (n 31).
35 International Energy Agency, Kenya (2019), https://www.iea.org/countries/Kenya/, accessed
30 August 2019.
36 KPLC Annual Report 2018/2019, http://kplc.co.ke/category/view/39/annual-reports, accessed
30 August 2019.
N. Kidunduhu
SA’s energy landscape is illustrative of African countries that are coaldependent but also have formidable renewable energy resources. Such
countries have an opportunity to utilize their renewable energy sources
to diversify their energy mix, particularly by deploying them in the enduse sectors (such as power generation) that hitherto relied on coal, as part
of their transition pathway.
B. Kenya
Kenya is located in the east of the continent. It covers a total surface
area of 580,367square kilometers.
32 Kenya has a temperate climate
in its inland, tropical climate in its coast and an arid climate in its
northern region.
33 As of 2018, it was estimated to have a population
of 51.4Million, 73% of whom live in its rural areas.
34
Kenya’s Energy Resources and Supply
Traditional renewable resources (bioenergy) has been Kenya’s chief source
of supply accounting for 76% of the total energy supply, followed by oil
and oil products at 17%.
35
Kenya has remarkable renewable energy sources which it has
deployed in electricity generation. As at 30 June 2019, Kenya had an
installed electricity generation capacity of 2,712 MW comprising of
hydro (826 MW), thermal (808 MW), geothermal (663 MW), wind
(336 MW), biomass/cogeneration (28 MW) and solar (51 MW).
36
Future ambitions for the sector are detailed in Kenya’s Least Cost
Power Development Plan (LCPDP), its Vision 2030 document as well as
the Power Sector Medium-Term Plan (PSMTP). From the documents,
the country has seen an increased demand for electricity over the last
few years. The peak demand shot up from 1,236 MW in 2011/12 to
1912 MW in 2019. Additionally, Kenya plans to surpass 5221 MW
32 World Bank, ‘Kenya’, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator, accessed 30 August 2019.
33 Ibid.
34 Ibid. (n 31).
35 International Energy Agency, Kenya (2019), https://www.iea.org/countries/Kenya/, accessed
30 August 2019.
36 KPLC Annual Report 2018/2019, http://kplc.co.ke/category/view/39/annual-reports, accessed
30 August 2019.