Kenya is hosting the Africa Energy Forum 2023 which is Africa’s premier annual power and gas investment and business forum. The forum brings together governments and state utilities to address the international energy community on opportunities available in Africa’s power and gas sectors. Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary (CS) Davis Chirchir said that this forum is one of the most meaningful gathering of decision makers in the African energy sector and brings together governments, utilities, regulators, development finance institutions, commercial banks, power developers, technology providers and professional services. Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) during the forum’s official opening, Chirchir said that over the next three days they will seriously engage and look at several topics including: Insights from ministers and heads of utilities on energy and mining from the continent, increasing pace and scale of Africa’s renewable energy projects, the growing role of Africa’s gas within today’s GeoPolitical context, breaking down barriers to energy transition in mining among others. ‘We need to improve power generation and connectivity to our people. With 600 million people in our continent not having access to electricity and an average per capita of 180 kWh electricity against an average of 8,000 kWh in the developed world, we have a lot of work to do,’ explained the CS. He added that on the energy mix, Africa has great potential in geothermal, solar, wind, and hydro generation. ‘In the field of geothermal exploration, Kenya stands as a global leader. We have tapped into the vast geothermal potential of the Great Rift Valley,’ said Chirchir. He highlighted that the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, located in the northern part of Kenya, is one of the largest wind power projects in Africa and the world with a capacity of 310 megawatts. ‘Africa has vast hydro generation potential from the Congo River Basin, the third largest river in the world to the Nile Basin in Ethiopia. In Kenya, we have developed our hydro power plants in the renowned Seven Forks hydropower complex including Masinga, Kamburu, Gitaru, and Kindaruma in Tana River, which contributes 700 MW to our energy supply,’ explained the CS. He added that smaller hydroelectric plants, such as the 2 MW Gogo Power Station, in Migori County plays a vital role in electrifying rural and remote areas, where grid connectivity may be challenging. ‘We have vast potential of solar energy in Africa. Solar power will also witness tremendous growth with photovoltaics (PV) improved technology today and the cost of Solar PVs coming down coupled with battery-swapping station (BSS) which will address the challenge of intermittence,’ said Chirchir. The CS said that through innovative approaches such as solar mini-grids and off-grid solutions, Africa can extend electricity access to remote areas and marginalized communities. ‘The Garissa Solar Plant, located in the north-eastern region of Kenya, is one of our largest solar power plants today with a total capacity of 54 megawatts, it has the capability to power approximately 625,000 households, bringing clean and affordable electricity,’ he said. Chirchir said that to enhance connectivity and efficiency in Africa’s energy sector, Kenya has to expand transmission and distribution infrastructure, build cross-border infrastructure, regional power grids and interconnections to facilitate energy trade and foster regional integration and economic growth. ‘By embracing hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, wind power, solar energy, and gradually reducing our reliance on thermal power, we will create a diverse and resilient energy sector,’ said the CS. Chirchir said that through Africa’s diverse energy mix, the continent will achieve remarkable progress in meeting its energy needs while reducing its carbon footprint and contribute to the global efforts in combating climate change and creating a greener planet. ‘We invite international partners to join us in this journey as we continue to shape a brighter and more sustainable energy future,’ said the CS. ‘As we gather here at the African Energy Forum 2023, we will learn from one another, share our experiences, and collaborate to create a brighter and more sustainable energy future for Africa,’ he added. He explained that as a continent, Africa must work hand in hand to develop innovative financing mechanisms, create favourable policy frameworks and promote technology transfer and capacity building. ‘In the just concluded International Energy Agency Conference in Paris, Kenya was nominated to host next years’ conference on energy conservation. The summit of African Heads of State and Government on Climate will be co-hosted by Kenya and the Africa Union in Nairobi from 4 – 6th September 2023 alongside this years’ Africa Climate Week,’ said the CS.

Source: Kenya News Agency