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Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) has energised the 308km 400/220/132kV Olkaria-Lessos-Kisumu transmission project, significantly boosting the supply network in the west. The new connection upgrades western Kenya’s power capacity and will facilitate stable supply from the Olkaria geothermal fields to the area adjacent to Lake Victoria including Kisumu City and Kisumu seaport.

Dutch development financier FMO has signed a $3m top-up of its existing senior loan to off-grid pioneer M-Kopa, adding to its existing $11m commitment.

When most African governments struggle to fund even the most essential projects, costly new technologies may seem a luxury. But rethinking how they can be applied to energy networks can be a valuable exercise for policy-makers and investors: ‘disruptive technology’ can have far-reaching benefits, or prove a red herring for cash-strapped economies.

With a $1.8bn bond offer launched on 6 May attracting strong demand from investors, Tullow Oil is now in a position to reduce its debt pile. The bond is due to be completed on 17 May and attention will then turn to plans for Tullow’s Kenyan operations.

Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has invited public comments on the draft energy (mini-grid) regulations 2021 ahead of their publication later this year. EPRA has set a deadline of 9 June for suggested amendments, which will become the new legal framework for mini-grids.

While Tanzania is moving ahead with its oil pipeline from Uganda, and could even revive IOCs plans to develop large-scale offshore gas deposits for export, it is cosying up to Kenya with an eye to selling more of its gas. Kenyan officials say the governments’ longstanding talks about gas sales could work – if the price is right.

Reports emerged in early May that Somalia and Kenya were restoring diplomatic relations almost six months after severing ties due to tensions over shared oil and gas deposits.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has extended the contract for the 56MW Muhoroni gas turbines GT1 and GT2 in Kisumu until a new geothermal supply for the region has stabilised. The turbines belong to state-owned Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and feed western Kenya.

Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) has increased its compensation offer to local landowners affected by the Kenya-Tanzania transmission project by 75%, potentially clearing a significant hurdle. Ketraco yielded to the demands of locals after four years of protracted negotiations on a 96km section from Isinya to Namanga, near the border with Tanzania.

Kenya is pushing ahead with plans for offshore licence auctions, following a 3D data acquisition contract signed with Houston-based Ion Geophysical Corp, announced in early April. Ion has an exclusive agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum for 3D multi-client programmes in offshore Kenya.

Could a deep water exploration well, which industry observers expect to be drilled next year on Italian major Eni’s 50,677km2 of gross undeveloped surface area in the Lamu Basin, finally give a new perspective on Kenya’s hydrocarbons potential?

Commercial and industrial (C&I) solar company Starsight Energy has reported 74% growth in revenues in 2020, underlining the apparent differing fortunes for off-grid solar companies, as solar home system (SHS) providers appear to have struggled more than C&I companies.

The state-owned Geothermal Development Company (GDC) successfully discharged the third exploratory well at its Paka site on 16 March, following completion of the heating monitoring period, according to a company statement on 9 April. Paka Well 3 was drilled to a depth of 2.9km.

President Kenyatta has set up a taskforce to review the PPAs signed by monopoly distributor Kenya Power and electricity producers, in a fresh bid to renegotiate terms in favour of the struggling state-owned utility, reports Neville Otuki in Nairobi.

Off-grid operations have proved resilient in the face of Covid-19 challenges, as major investors and financial institutions expand their support for electricity access away from national grids. But scaling up local businesses so that distributed energy solutions can reach their potential remains a huge challenge, leading industry players told a virtual African Investment Exchange (AIX) meeting.