Going Greener Still

Anyone flying from the Masai Mara into Wilson Airport these days will of course see the wind power plants erected on the famous Ngong Hills, on the foot of which Baroness Blixen, made immortal through the film ‘Out of Africa’ had her farm and where the Karen Blixen museum is now located. A new wind power initiative is now in the approval stage by the government of Kenya, to build a whole ‘wind farm’ in Marsabit district it was learned, where a group of Kenyan’s living abroad want to put up a 300 MW facility, to give Kenya more electricity, and most important, more ‘green’ electricity generated from renewable sources.

Presently the country depends heavily on the use of thermal plants, propelled by diesel or heavy fuel oil, as the hydro capacity has been limited by the past drought, when reservoirs have shrunk; and are still way below average inspite of the heavy rains right now.

A similar wind power plant, it is understood from a source in Nairobi, is also planned in the Turkana area of Kenya, equally proposing to generate 300 MW, and the combined added capacity, when coming on line, will relieve Kenya of the need to employ any thermal power plants, each of which adds between 50 ; 100 MW into the national grid right now.

East Africa is undergoing a renewed drive to create added infrastructure, in power generation, for roads and railways and there is hope that in another 10; 15 years the region will be presenting itself in a very different light compared to the past and present day with electricity then available also to the rural populations, presently depending almost entirely on firewood and charcoal for their energy requirements, but also to ensure a regular supply of power to the cities, urban centres, coastal resorts and the industries in the region.

In a related development it was also confirmed that the Kenyan Geothermal Development Company was set to expand the use of geothermal power sources by a further 280 MW in coming years, and that drilling was already underway in preparation of the installation of added plants. The overall estimated geothermal capacity of Kenya is said to be in the region of about 7.000 MW, while presently only about 170 MW are in fact being generated at this time.

Adds this correspondent that there is lots of room to go greener and greener and more than satisfy the national electricity requirements.