Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen)

Kenya Electricity Generating Company

Produce Steam from High-Temperature, Non-Producing Wells

Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and GreenFire Energy are collaborating to assess GreenFire’s GreenLoop® technology in one of KenGen’s wells in the Olkaria region. The demonstration’s objective is to produce steam to generate electricity from a high-temperature, non-producing well which has high permeability. The collaboration has a view to implement GreenLoop broadly in KenGen’s applicable geothermal wells.

KenGen is the primary supplier of electricity in Kenya with a market share of more than 60% with 1,904MW of generation capacity. The company supplies up to 80% of electricity in Kenya with 86% being renewable power generation.1  KenGen currently generates 799MW from geothermal which is 85% of the country’s geothermal installed capacity and aims to produce over 50% of its power from geothermal energy by 2030.2  Over the next 10 years, the company intends to expand its renewable energy by 3,000MW mostly drawn from geothermal found abundantly in the Rift Valley region in Kenya.3 Amongst KenGen’s 2024 priorities is the focus on clean energy technology to enhance electricity generation through initiatives to up-rate existing assets and rehabilitate power plants.

  • Olkaria I, Unit 6, Photo courtesy of KenGen
  • Photo courtesy of KenGen
  • Photo courtesy of KenGen
  • Photo courtesy of KenGen

Related Content

1 Kedem, Shoshana, “KenGen targets 3,000 MW of renewable energy in a decade.” African Business, June 19, 2023. https://african.business/2023/06/resources/kengen-targets-3000mw-of-renewable-energy-in-decade

2 Kariuki, Thuku, “In Photos: Africa holds huge potential in geothermal energy generation.” Quartz. May 16, 2023. https://qz.com/photos-africas-huge-potential-in-geothermal-energy-1850440354

3 Kedem, Shoshana, “KenGen targets 3,000 MW of renewable energy in a decade.” African Business, June 19, 2023. https://african.business/2023/06/resources/kengen-targets-3000mw-of-renewable-energy-in-decade