East Africa adds 9300MW electricity capacity in a decade

Ethiopia's GERD: Fully Operational

East Africa, the fastest growing region in Sub-Saharan Africa, is stampeding over itself in launching mega power generation sources. These are the fruits of dogged investment in expanding Power generation capacity along with other infrastructure projects.  

In the past decade, the region has sunk nearly US$10 billion in green field power generation, adding more than 8000 MW to its level 10 years ago.  

Among the mega projects is Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, that cost a whopping US$5 billion and will generate 6 GW of power.

 Second was Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere Hydro Project which cost $2.9 billion (2GW), followed by Uganda’s Karuma dam which cost $1.7 billion (600MW). There are smaller ones such as Kenya’s Thwake multipurpose dam which cost 0.7 billion and Ol karia V geothermal station which cost 0.4 billion. All projects are green energy projects and all, with the exception of Thwake dam, are complete and operational.

With the Completion of Tanzania's Julius Nyerere Hydro Station on Rufiji River’s Stigler’s Gorge, her power generation capacity is now more than 3000 MW, while Ethiopia has crossed the 10000 MW mark.

The East Africa Power Pool is growing, and trade in energy is taking root. Ethiopia will export power to her neighbours, including; Kenya, Sudan, and Djibouti, in addition to powering the domestic market. Ethiopia targets to export US$1 billion a year.

Tanzania is also looking to export power to Zambia and is already constructing the Power lines.

 Kenya, the other powerhouse in the region is also in the race, though, at lower capacities for three reasons: One Kenya is focused on newer technologies such as wind, geothermal, and Solar, and two she does not boast of large rivers. Third, Kenya’s hydro projects a designed as multipurpose projects including irrigation, and potable water.

 So far the country, which is the leader in Africa in Geothermal power generation, boasts of 985 MW. There are two plants under construction that will add an additional 70MW making Geothermal the leading source of electric power in the country. Geothermal has replaced Hydro as the base energy.

 On wind power, Kenya boasts of 436 MW from three plants while several are in the pipeline.

 Kenya has the largest connection rate, with more than 70 percent of its population connected to the national grid. In fact, demand in Kenya overshot its 3350MW capacity by 100MW earlier this year. To stabilize supply, Kenya imports power from Uganda and Ethiopia.

Perhaps stung by the growing demand, Kenya is becoming impatient with investors in the sector who drag their feet.  In July this year, Kenya cancelled a PPP contract to build the Grand High Falls project which had failed to take off since signing seven years ago.

Two Months later, the project is being re-advertised seeking new investors. The Grand High Falls dam is a multipurpose dam that will generate electricity, supply potable water to Lamu Port and resort city, and irrigate more than 250,000 acres of land. It will  It will be built off Kibuka Falls on River Tana – straddling Kitui and Tharaka Nithi counties. 

The dam covers 165 sq. km and will hold 5.6 billion cubic metres of water, generate 693 MW of electricity, and an additional 500 MW of solar power to power a Hydrogen Fertilizer Plant. In addition, the project will also develop two Industrial Parks for value addition and agro-processing in Kitui and Tharaka Counties, The High Grand Falls will be the largest water reservoir in the country.

The US$ 2 billion project is undergoing a redesign, and its cost is expected to change.

 The growth of power generation is a major boost to economic activity in the region, including industrialization, and food security. Green energy source of power are generally cheaper and therefore a shot in the arm for manufacturing.