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KenGen has completed environmental and social impact studies for the 140MWe capacity increase at its Olkaria II geothermal facility.

As demand surges, Kenya is looking to new power developments and imports from the Eastern Africa Power Pool to increase on-grid capacity, with KenGen advancing a new fleet of renewable projects, while a vital new interconnector with Tanzania has been energised and there are signs the IPP moratorium could soon end, writes Marc Howard, recently in Nairobi.

Commissioning of the 1.5GW Kenya-Tanzania Power Interconnection Project is a significant moment for both countries and the wider Eastern Africa Power Pool. Tanzania has also signed a PPA with Ethiopia to use the line to import power, setting a precedent for regional trading and pricing. The KTPIP is also a core component of the eventual Eapp-Southern African Power Pool link-up, write Kimemia Mugo in Mombasa and Marc Howard, recently in Nairobi.

Kenya’s nuclear regulator has drawn up plan for small-scale reactors of around 100-300MW capacity and is assessing project structuring and funding.

CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) has raised an initial $140m tranche of senior debt from South Africa’s Standard Bank to fund commercial and industrial (C&I) power projects fuelled by renewable energy (RE) across Africa.

KTDA is seeking EPC contractors for its greenfield 2.8MW Taunet run-of-river project. The tender also includes lots for the supply of associated transmission works and electromechanical equipment.

In contrast to the existing Kenya-Tanzania line, and with work on the Tanzanian side of the Zambia-Tanzania line expected to be completed by mid-2026, the stalled Zambian component of the ZTK interconnector remains far behind schedule – much to the frustration of President Hakainde Hichilema. But new funding from the World Bank Group, the UK and EU is expected to see a quick project restart, write Marc Howard and Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Lusaka.

State-owned Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has admitted that it does not have ownership documents for the land at its flagship Turkwel hydroelectric power plant, leaving the site vulnerable to encroachment by other users.

President Ruto has announced the cancellation of a much-criticised independent transmission project with Indian conglomerate Adani, along with another deal for the company to manage Nairobi’s main airport. The decision followed serious allegations of misconduct made against the Indian conglomerate and its senior management by the US authorities.

A mooted new deal to purchase output from the Muhoroni thermal turbine plant could signal that cracks are appearing in the longstanding ban on new Kenyan IPP developments.

The $736m deal between Ketraco and Indian conglomerate Adani to construct a series of transmission lines and substations was suspended by the High Court in Nairobi in late October, after opponents argued it had been awarded under an opaque process. A hearing will be held on 11 November.

Indian conglomerate Adani will finance, construct, and operate a number of transmission lines and substations, under a 30-year, $737m deal with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco). It comes after a local court recently blocked a bid by Adani to take over the management of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

Swiss multinational Oryx Energies plans an increased presence in Kenya’s fuel markets, diversifying its traditional role as a bulk supplier. It follows a similar move by the company in Uganda.

A small number of floating solar plants are already operating across Africa and over a dozen more are being planned. Advocates say the technology can not only generate power, but also expand the generation capacity of underperforming hydroelectric power reservoirs. As dams age and water becomes scarce, development finance institutions could a play critical role in funding the growth of a still-nascent technology, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

After a period of economic and political turmoil, embattled Kenyan President William Ruto has been forced into a major government restructuring. The shape of a new coalition with the main opposition party the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is still being finalised, but it will likely have a difficult time trying to steer the economy and government finances to a position of greater stability.