Kenya has announced a raft of measures aimed at forestalling energy crisis and shifting to investment in renewable energy.
Mr. Odinga also announced that plans are underway to hold an International Green Energy Investor Conference this year in Nairobi in mid September. Photo: A Geothermal power plant in Kenya.
Kenya has unveiled wide-ranging plans
to invest in clean energy.
Announcing the new measures at an inaugural meeting of the
country's National Task Force on Accelerated Development of Green Energy on
Wednesday, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, said the plans will include free
distribution of one million energy-saving light bulbs in exchange for ordinary
bulbs.
"The free distribution of energy-saving bulbs is
expected to save 49 megawatts of power," said Odinga. Mr. Odinga appointed the National Taskforce last week.
Other measures will include subsidizing the price of solar
water heaters for firms, households and public institutions.
"We are facing an energy crisis that will require us to
come up with radical solutions," he added. He announced that the
investments in clean energy would be in geothermal, wind, cogeneration, clean coal, solar,
biogas and solid waste.
He also announced government’s plans to provide
interest free, long-term loans for investment in local production of energy
saving bulbs, solar water heaters and other energy saving devices whose
production locally is expected to commence within one year.
Green energy projects
The Task Force will facilitate installation of
additional 2000 megawatts of power within the next three years from green energy
projects that have already been identified.
"They include six geothermal projects with a capacity of
490 megawatts; seven wind power projects with expected capacity of 810 megawatts; a number of
power cogeneration projects with expected capacity of 600 megawatts," Odinga
added.
Mr. Odinga stressed that the drive toward green energy will
create business opportunities and create green jobs.
"This facility will be managed by a consortium of
Commercial Banks, with support provided by the Government. Discussions to make
the facility operational by middle of August will be initiated
immediately," he added.
This move came a day after the Kenya Electricity Generating
Company, the nation’s power generating company, announced the closure
of one of its hydroelectric power plants due to low water levels.
Mr. Odinga also announced that plans are underway to hold an International Green Energy
Investor Conference this year in Nairobi in mid September. At the
conference public private partnership projects will be unveiled.
Clean energy financing
Kenya has recently secured US$405 million loan to finance
development of a wind power project. The financing of the Lake Turkana Wind
Power Project (LTWP) will be facilitated by African Development Bank (AfDB),
and will add an additional 300 megawatts of power into the national grid by 2012.
LTWP, the handler of the project, plans to provide the
additional power to the national electricity grid by taking advantage of a
unique wind resource in Northwest Kenya near Lake Turkana.
