Kenya has set the ball rolling on its plans to convert existing oil-fuel power plants to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants by 2030. The move by Kenya will aid the country’s transition to cleaner energy sources. The state-owned electricity generation company Kenya Generation Company (KenGen) has begun conducting feasibility studies on reconfiguring existing plants.
The Renewable Energy Secretary at the Energy Ministry, Isaac Kiva, has stated that the plan would enable Kenya to reach the net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050. ”The idea is that those thermal power plants (with contracts) going beyond 2030 will be converted to use LNG,” Kiva said.
The converted thermal plants would be utilised during demand peaks and will provide voltage support for the national grid network. The Kenyan electricity grid is 90% renewable, and the country has decommissioned two thermal plants with a combined capacity of at least 120MW in line with its push for net-zero emissions.