The demand for energy is increasing and many Kenyans are turning to renewable energy sources for lighting and cooking.
Josephine Ngumba has been making ‘green’ or eco-charcoal briquettes for more than five years and says the demand has drastically increased but production remains low.
They can be made with many ingredients. You can use cow dung, pruned tree branches, ground up and burnt. Add old torn newspapers, sawdust and water. Put them in a simple charcoal-making machine, electric or manual.
Other ingredients can be groundnut shells, rice and maize husks, dried banana peel, charcoal dust, sawdust and many other kinds of waste.
“Many people in the cities and the environs are moving away from using conventional charcoal to clean cooking energy like briquettes,” she said.
Due to the high demand, Ngumba is training those interested in charcoal briquette-making at the energy centre in Nairobi.
The centre was recently opened at the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation centre at the Jamhuri Grounds.
The government through the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation has so far established 16 centres around the country to promote the use of renewable energy.
Rural Electrification Authority (REA) changed to the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) following the enactment of the Energy Act, 2019.
CEO Rose Mkalama, who is also an energy expert, said developing renewable energy sources is one of their biggest mandates due to climate change.
She explained the aim is to accelerate rural electrification in the rural areas through accelerating expansion of the grid and also adopting renewable energy sources.
Some innovations the corporation has taken up are the energy centres across the country where different renewable energy technologies are showcased.
REREC has an expanded mandate of spearheading Kenya’s green energy drive, in addition to implementing rural electrification projects.
The Energy Act 2019 also transferred Energy Centres from the Ministry of Energy to REREC.
“The energy centers are critical because they are used as training and demonstration centers for our communities, so they can adapt and more importantly uptake the renewable sources of energy,” she said.
According to data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, about 86 per cent of electricity generated in Kenya today comes from renewable energy sources.
The regulator indicated the country generates more than 12,652.74 gigawatts hours (GWh) annually, the bulk of it from geothermal, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy sources.
Mkalama said there they aim to set up another 31 centres in the counties that do not have them.
The energy centres are in Bukura in Kakamega, Busia, Garissa, Homa Bay, Jamhuri in Nairobi, Kericho, Kisii, Kitui, Lodwar in Turkana, Marsabit, Migori, Mitunguu in Meru, Mirangine in Nyandarua, Mtwapa in Kilifi, Wajir and Wambugu in Nyeri.
“We need to have energy centers in every county because this brings services closer to people. This is because for us as REREC, the community is one of our stakeholders in the consumption and adaptation of renewable energy sources,” Mkalama said.
She said solar plants are among the renewable energy technologies they are adopting.
“Currently we have a solar plant in Garissa, which is the largest in Eastern and Central Africa where we produce about 54.6MW of electricity,” she said.
We also have mini-grids, these are critical because we go to an area, isolate it and give it a local grid. This focuses on the Northern areas that are far away from the grid.”
“The other is called stand-alone solar systems where you go to an institution and instal a solar system. An example is the solar systems we have installed in hospitals and schools, specifically the ones that are far away from the grid,” Mkalama said.
She said they also have hybrid systems, which are solar and generators. There are diesel stations, which they did in the beginning when the organisation was starting.
“We are trying to hybridise them so that we include solar in the system to reduce emissions to the atmosphere,” she said.
Douglas Rabura, senior renewable energy officer at the Ministry of Energy, said it’s necessary to adapt renewable energy technologies to help the country meet its universal energy target.
"The Energy hub centres will not only showcase innovations but will also be training centres for renewable energy issues," he said.
The Ministry of Energy indicates that Kenya’s clean energy transition will contribute to achieving universal energy access, including clean cooking and accelerating renewable energy deployment.
It will also provide sustainable heat and power to key industries and sectors for Kenya’s socio-economic transformation, as well as maximise energy efficiency.
“Achieving 100 per cent net grid energy, especially in a context of growing demand, will require optimal use of the country’s renewable resources. This is through a flexible grid to enable a transition to 100 per cent clean electricity that is both affordable and ensures reliable and secure energy supply,” the ministry said.
