Kenya Power warns against expansion of wind and solar power over grid stability concerns
Kenya Power called for a cautious approach in expanding variable renewable energy (VRE) sources such as wind and solar, warning that their intermittent nature could expose the national electricity grid to instability and increase the cost of power for consumers. The company said wind and solar currently account for about 34 per cent of the [...] The post Kenya Power warns against expansion of…
Kenya Power has cautioned against expanding wind and solar power due to concerns over grid stability. The company's Managing Director and CEO, Dr Eng Joseph Siror, warned that the fluctuating nature of wind and solar energy could destabilize the national grid and increase consumer power costs. Currently, wind and solar account for 34 per cent of the energy mix during peak demand, rising to 36 per cent when demand falls.
Siror stated that global benchmarks recommend a maximum of 15 per cent of solid capacity limit for variable renewable energy, yet Kenya's current usage exceeds this limit by over 20 per cent. He explained that sudden increases or decreases in wind and solar production force the utility to deploy additional generators, raising overall electricity costs.
To mitigate this, Kenya Power is investing in geothermal and hydroelectric generation, which offer greater stability. The utility currently relies on geothermal, hydroelectric, imports, and thermal generation for about 80 per cent of its energy, advocating for increased baseload sources to stabilize the grid and absorb fluctuations from renewable sources.
Written by urgent.news from KahawaTungu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
