KenGen earns Sh2.6b from commercial innovation initiatives

Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC has earned Sh2.6 b in revenues from commercial innovation initiatives over the last nine years.

This emerged as the company held its 9th Global Innovation Seminar virtually for two days ending today.

The company also made a savings to the tune of Sh1.3 b drawn from process improvement and implementation of continuous improvement ideas.

Energy CS Charles Keter urged the company to continue with its tradition of generating ideas adding that their candle will be used to light the way for other players.

He also challenged the energy sector to continue harnessing natural resources efficiently to not only avail clean power but also assure Kenyans of its reliability.

“I look forward to proposals aimed at improving the generation process, reducing overall electricity cost along the supply chain or adding efficiency solutions such as storage of energy as this is what our country is in dire need of,” The CS said at the start of the seminar.

Energy, he added, is critical in delivery of Kenya’s development blueprints - Vision 2030 and the Big Four Agenda and ideas generated from the G2G seminar may be the catalyst required to transform the country’s economy for future generations.

He however stressed the need for development of solutions geared towards improving energy generation process, reducing overall cost of electricity, and adding efficiency solutions such as storage.

KenGen Managing Director and CEO, Rebecca Miano said the organization is making good progress to bring on board its first solar project of 42MW which may in future be coupled with its existing hydro generation to efficiently utilize both resources.

“This is in line with our pursuit for green, sustainable energy, aimed at positively exploiting the available resources while reducing the country’s thermal power bill,” she added.

She reiterated that currently the company is on track to commission the Olkaria I Unit 6 geothermal power plant later this year, adding that at 83.3MW, it will be the single largest geothermal generating unit in Africa.

“This power plant being an extension of Olkaria I Units 4 and 5 means that when complete the power plant will be a 233MW geothermal giant. This addition will push our installed capacity to 1.9GW, double the 956MW KenGen had when we embarked on our ‘Good to Great’ journey in 2008 and only 100MW shy of the two Gigawatts mark,” she said.