logo
ADVERTISEMENT

MPs blame thermal plants for high power costs

• Kenya has a potential of 10,000mw of geothermal •Plans on to phase out thermal power by 2030


Kenya25 April 2023 - 13:52
ADVERTISEMENT

In Summary


• Kenya has a potential of 10,000mw of geothermal

•Plans on to phase out thermal power by 2030

The CS for Energy David Chirchir and his PS Alex Kamau (L) have a word when they appeared before the parliamentary committee on Energy in Sawela Lodge in Naivasha. The committee blamed the high cost of electricity in the country for the failure to phase out the thermal power plants.

MPs want incomplete electricity transmission lines from geothermal plants to major towns currently relying on thermal power supply given budgetary priority.

The Parliamentary Committee on Energy attributed the high cost of electricity in the country to delays in phasing out the thermal plants that run on diesel to generate electricity to some parts of the country.

This came as the committee said it would review all contracts entered between the government and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) terming many of them as questionable.

According to the committee chairman Vincent Kawaya; the only hope of reducing the cost of electricity in the country is in phasing out the expensive thermal power stations.

He said that investigations by the committee had established that there was a cartel out to protect the companies some of which are owned by politicians.

“This Independent Power Producers get from the state the same cash as Kengen despite producing 25 percent of electricity compared to the former that is generating 75 percent,” he said.

Addressing the press in Naivasha after meeting stakeholders in the energy sector, the Mwala MP said that priority should now be in finalising the pending transmission lines.

“Some of the power lines like the Narok-Bomet line are expected to phase out the expensive Muhoroni gas station and we are concerned by its delay,” he said.

The MP defended the cut in budgetary allocation to various energy departments noting that this would have little impact on electricity generation in the country.

Energy Cabinet Secretary David Chirchir confirmed that the current government had entered into no new Power Purchase Agreement.

He however urged parliament to be careful handle the matter adding that there is need to plan carefully as the country would need more electricity in the coming years.

“Due to the on-going drought, we have been forced to increase use of thermal energy which is expensive and this has seen the cost of electricity increase,” he said.

Chirchir called for more investment in geothermal exploration to meet the rising demand, noting that failure to do this would push the country into an electricity crisis similar to what is being witnessed in South Africa.

The PS in the ministry Alex Kamau said that hydropower generation was yet to fully recover from the drought situation noting that water levels in Masinga Dam had risen by two meters only.

“In a bid to address the issue of electricity security, we shall be launching the Ethiopia-Kenya transmission line where we shall be getting an extra 200MW,” he said.

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT

logo© The Star 2024. All rights reserved