In an effort to strengthen Kenya’s renewable energy industry, Members of Parliament have backed a Ministry of Energy proposal mandating that all wind and solar power plants incorporate battery storage systems.
The goal of this program is to lessen the nation’s reliance on expensive and environmentally harmful thermal power plants by guaranteeing that electricity produced from these renewable sources is available during peak hours.
In a report submitted to Parliament, the National Assembly Committee on Energy stated that all wind and solar installations nationwide will be subject to the battery storage requirement.
It is expected that this action will lessen dependency on thermal plants, which are usually employed during periods of high electricity demand.
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) between Kenya Power and intermittent power plants those that use solar or wind energy without a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) would not be permitted, the Energy Ministry had previously declared.
It has been crucial to establish a more reliable and reasonably priced energy supply, especially in times of high demand when thermal plants are most often used.
In order to mitigate their intermittency and maintain the system’s equilibrium between supply and demand for electricity, all intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind, are being connected to the grid and equipped with energy storage solutions. This is done by strategically charging storage assets during periods of low demand and discharging them during periods of peak demand, the committee wrote in its report.
Kenya Power has been forced to rely on thermal plants to fill the supply gap during nighttime peak hours due to the lack of suitable storage options.
In the nation, the demand for power usually peaks between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., and in the Coast area, between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
Kenya’s approach to renewable energy is starting to resemble that of developed countries, especially those in Europe and America, where solar power plants frequently have battery storage to guarantee a steady supply of electricity.
Three wind farms and seven solar farms currently have Power Purchase Agreements with Kenya Power.
The combined electricity output of these facilities in the year ending June 2024 was 1,790 GWh and 473 GWh, respectively.
