Kenya Electricity Generating Company

Kenya Electricity Generating Company[3] or simply KenGen is a parastatal company, and is the largest electric power producer in Kenya producing over 60%[2] of the electricity consumed in the country.

Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC

Logo
Trade name	KenGen PLC
Type	Public Liability Company
Traded as	KN: KEGN
Industry	Electric power
Founded	1 February 1954
Headquarters	Nairobi , Kenya
Area served	Kenya
Key people	Samson Mwathethe, Chairman, Board of Directors Rebecca Miano Managing Director and CEO[1]
Revenue	KES 44.110 Billion (30 June 2020)
Net income	KES 18.377 Billion (30 June 2020)
Total assets	KES 412.927 Billion(30 June 2020)
Total equity	KES 211.318 (30 June 2020)
Number of employees	2,500 (30 June 2020)[2]
Website	KenGen

Overview

KenGen relies on various sources to generate electricity ranging from hydropower, geothermal, thermal and wind. Geothermal is the leading source, with an installed capacity of 706 MW, which is about 50% of the company's installed capacity.[4]

The company owns 30 hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 818 MW, four thermal power plants generating 256 MW, seven geothermal power plants with a generating capacity of 706 MW and one Wind power plant at Ngong producing 26 MW, for a combined generating capacity of 1,803 MW.[5]

Presently KenGen operates seven geothermal power stations, namely: Olkaria I, Olkaria II, Olkaria I unit 4 and 5, Olkaria IV, Olkaria I Auxiliary Unit, Olkaria V, Eburru, and a site referred to as Wellhead.[5]

The Olkaria geothermal power stations are located in Nakuru County within the Hell's Gate National Park bordering Lake Naivasha within the Great Rift Valley.

History

The company was founded on 1 February 1954 as the Kenya Power Company (KPC) and was commissioned to construct the transmission line between Nairobi and Tororo in Uganda. This was to transmit power generated at the Owen Falls Dam to Kenya. KPC was also tasked to develop electricity generating facilities in the country.[6]

KPC was managed by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company under a management contract. In January 1997, the management of KPC was formally separated from Kenya Power as a direct result of reforms being under taken in the energy sector and the entire economy.[6] Subsequently, on 19 January 1998 the company changed its name from Kenya Power Company to Kenya Electricity Generating Company. The trading name KenGen PLC was also adopted at this point.[7]

In 2006, KenGen was listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange after the Government of Kenya sold 30 percent of its stake in the company through a successful initial public offering that received over 280,000 applications.[6]

Ownership

KenGen currently has 6,594,522,339 shares. The stock of Kenya Electricity Generating Company is listed on the NSE, where it trades under the symbol: KEGN [5]

Kenya Electricity Generating Company Stock Ownership

Rank	Name of Owner	Percentage Ownership
1	Government of Kenya	70.00
2	Others	30.00
	Total	100.00

List of power stations and installed capacity

See also List of power stations in Kenya

Current capacity

The current capacity of KenGen's power stations are;

Hydroelectric

• Gitaru Hydro Power Plant – 225 MW[8]
• Gogo Hydro Power Plant – 2 MW, on the Gucha River[9]
• Kamburu Hydro Power Plant – 93[9]
• Kiambere Hydro Power Plant – 169 MW[10]
• Kindaruma Hydroelectric Power Station – 72 MW[11]
• Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station – 40 MW[12]
• Mesco Hydro Power Plant – 0.43 MW[9]
• Sagana Hydro Power Plant – 1.5 MW[9]
• Sondu Miriu Hydroelectric Power Station – 60 MW[8]
• Sosiani Hydro Power Plant – 0.4 MW[9]
• Tana Hydroelectric Power Station – 20 MW[9]
• Turkwel Hydro Power Plant – 106 MW[13]
• Wanjii Hydroelectric Power Station – 7.4 MW[14]

Geothermal

• Olkaria I Geothermal Power Plant - 185 MW[15]
• Olkaria II Geothermal Power Plant - 105 MW[8]
• Olkaria III Geothermal Power Station - 139 MW[16]
• Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Station - 140 MW[15]
• Olkaria V Geothermal Power Station - 165 MW
• Eburru Geothermal Power Plant – 2.4 MW[17]
• Wellhead Geothermal Power Plant (Olkaria)- 5.0 MW[18]
• Wellhead Generation – 70 MW (Well head 1, 20 MW, Well head 2, 20 MW, Well head 3, 30 MW)[8]

Thermal

• Kipevu I Diesel – 60 MW[8]
• Kipevu III Diesel – 115 MW[8]
• Muhoroni Gas Turbine - 55 MW

Wind

• Ngong Hills Wind Power Station: Phase I – 5.1 MW[19]
• Ngong Hills Wind Power Station: Phase II – 20.4 MW[19]

Future projects

KenGen plans to increase it installed capacity to 721 megawatts by 2025.

Geothermal

• Olkaria I Unit 6 – 70 MW – Completion Year: 2021[20]
• Eburru Project – 25 MW – Completion Year: 2016[17]
• Olkaria V – 140 MW completion year: 2018[21]
• Olkaria VI – 140 MW – Completion Year: 2016/17[20]
• Olkaria VII – 140 MW – Completion Year: 2018[20]
• Olkaria VIII – 140 MW – Completion Year: 2018[22]
• Olkaria V – 165MW – Completion Year: 2019

Wind

• Wind Power Station: Phase II – 300 MW – Completion Year: 2020

Lists

• List of countries by electricity exports
• List of countries by electricity imports
• List of countries by electricity production

References

1. Otuki, Neville (1 November 2017), "Rebecca Miano confirmed KenGen CEO", Business Daily Africa, Nairobi: Nation Media Group, retrieved 1 November 2017
2. "KenGen 2019 Annual Report" (PDF). Kenya Electricity Generating Company. 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
3. "Home". www.kengen.co.ke. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
4. "Image: installed_elec_capacity_nov2014.jpg, (2339 × 1654 px)". erc.go.ke. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
5. "Who We Are | Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC". kengen.co.ke. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
6. "Kenya: enabling private-sector participation in electricity generation" (PDF). Graduate School of Business: University of Cape Town.
7. "KenGen – Kenya Electricity Generation Co". Think GeoEnergy - Geothermal Energy News. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
8. Anton Eberhard; Katharine Gratwick; Elvira Morella; Pedro Antmann (11 December 2016). "Independent Power Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). World Bank Group.
9. "HYDRO POWER STATIONS | KENGEN". www.kengen.co.ke. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
10. Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate. "CDM: Optimisation of Kiambere Hydro Power Project". cdm.unfccc.int. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
11. "Kindaruma upgrade enhances power supply – Capital Business". Capital Business. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
12. Greenwire, Michael Burnham And Nathanial Gronewold Of (10 May 2010). "Droughts Turn Out the Lights in Hydro-Dependent African Nation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
13. "Turkwel | KENGEN". www.kengen.co.ke. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
14. "PROJECT DESIGN DOCUMENT FORM FOR CDM PROJECT ACTIVITIES (F-CDM-PDD)" (PDF). CDM Executive Board. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
15. "Kengen". kengen.co.ke. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
16. Otuki, Neville (21 July 2017). "Kenya moves to third in new geothermal rankings". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
17. "KenGen bets on Eburru for cheaper geothermal power". The Star, Kenya. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
18. "KenGen's Wellhead Technology | KENGEN". www.kengen.co.ke. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
19. Kenya, Coastweek. "Coastweek – The most from the coast". www.coastweek.com. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
20. "KenGen sets ambitious 5-year 580 MW geothermal development target | Think GeoEnergy – Geothermal Energy News". www.thinkgeoenergy.com. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
21. "With funding from Japan, KenGen will start 140 MW geothermal development at Olkaria V | Think GeoEnergy – Geothermal Energy News". www.thinkgeoenergy.com. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
22. Kagiri, David. "Power Africa Geothermal Road Show" (PDF). Geo-Energy.org. Retrieved 11 December 2016.

External links