Kenya Power Turns to Geothermal, Hydro and Imports Amid Rising Solar, Wind Power

Kenya Power has announced that it is seeking to engage on hydro, and geothermal solutions to compliment power shortage countrywide.

In a statement obtained by Kenyans.co.ke on August 11 from Kenya Power CEO and Director Eng Joseph Siror, the utility firm raised concerns over the growing share of solar and wind power in the national grid, currently sitting at 34 per cent during peak demand and 36 per cent during low demand.

According to the company, this heavy reliance on variable renewable energy sources is exposing the grid to instability, especially when sunlight or wind levels suddenly drop.

“KPLC has urged for the need to have a careful balance in onboarding Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) generation sources to mitigate their impact on the grid,” Eng Joseph Siror stated.

To cushion this, Kenya Power says it wants to lean more on baseload sources like geothermal, hydro and power imports, which are steadier and less prone to sudden dips, and solve the perpetual problem of power loss in the country.

“The true cost of VREs is its own cost and the additional power that we pay for to stabilise the grid. Therefore, investments in geothermal and hydro offer greater grid stability and ensure the grid can recover and remain productive when intermittent sources are unavailable,”Eng Siror stated.

To fully realise this ambition, he stated that the power utility has several new baseload projects are already lined up, among them KenGen’s Oklahoma 1 and 7 plants generating 61MW and 80MW respectively, alongside Globeleq Menengai and Orpower 22 Menengai, each contributing 35MW.

Other additions expected to strengthen the grid include a 200MW import deal with Ethiopia, owing to the 5,000MW Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the 100MW Paka Silali geothermal project, and the 28MW Nabuyole plant, alongside bold plans to raise the Masinga Dam by 1.5 metres for an extra 83GWh annually.

Longer term, Kenya Power is eyeing even bigger projects, including a proposed 300MW liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant, the 700MW High Grand Falls dam and the 90MW Karura Falls hydro scheme.

Speaking on the matter, Eng Siror, explained that global standards recommend variable renewable energy make up no more than 15 per cent of a grid’s firm capacity, yet Kenya has crossed the 20 per cent mark under the current take-or-pay power purchase model.

He noted that this has forced the company to dispatch and pay for backup generators whenever solar and wind supply suddenly rises or falls, driving up the overall cost of electricity for consumers.

He further pointed out that even battery storage systems, often touted as a solution, still struggle to charge during periods when wind and solar output dips, making investments in geothermal and hydro a more reliable bet for grid recovery.

He praised the country’s standing on the dependence on variable renewables as it is notably higher than its regional peers, with Egypt at 10.4 per cent, Ethiopia at 5.3 per cent, Uganda at 4 per cent and Tanzania trailing at just 1.2 per cent, a position that has to be fortified further.

With baseload sources currently making up 80 per cent of Kenya’s energy mix, the Eng Siror insists that scaling up geothermal, hydro and import capacity remains the surest path to a stable and affordable power supply for households and businesses alike.