Kenya had an estimated 147 MW of grid-connected photo voltaic technology capability on the finish of 2021, based on the Worldwide Renewable Vitality Affiliation.
Picture: antonytrivet, pixabay
A renewable vitality occasion in Nairobi heard photo voltaic and different “mature” clear vitality sources will likely be excluded from the nation’s new feed-in tariff (FiT) program and can as a substitute be commissioned underneath an public sale regime.
pv journal attended the Renpower Kenya 2022 occasion on the Villa Rosa Kempinski resort this month the place it was introduced wind and geothermal energy may even not qualify for FiT funds.
The federal government will as a substitute supply the mounted incentives to biomass, small hydro, and unspecified “different” renewables initiatives. To obtain FiTs, initiatives should have a technology capability no bigger than 20 MW, the occasion was instructed.
No particulars of the public sale program which is able to apply to photo voltaic had been revealed.
George Aluru, chairperson of commerce physique the Electrical energy Sector Affiliation of Kenya spoke in regards to the want for Africa to deploy interconnectors to match clear energy technology with demand.
Citing an estimate neighboring Ethiopia may have an 8 GW to 10 GW grid inside a couple of years – and notably much less demand – Aluru known as on governments to step up efforts corresponding to these being made to hyperlink up nationwide grids underneath the japanese and southern African energy swimming pools. He additionally highlighted a necessity for extra widespread deployment of utility scale batteries, to steadiness out provide from photo voltaic and wind technology.
Jemimah Kwakye-Fosu, senior funding officer at Nairobi-based SunFunder, known as for different clear vitality financiers to undertake fashions to cut back overseas alternate (foreign exchange) threat in Africa, the place builders usually search local-currency-denominated backing however traders often stump up {dollars}.
The consultant from SunFunder – which was acquired by the Mirova enterprise in the end a part of French banking big Groupe BPCE, in June – defined how her firm makes use of merchants as third events between investor and developer to cut back the foreign exchange threat to the opposite events.
The occasion additionally heard about plans by the United Nations Industrial Improvement Group to work with Japanese entity Technova to harness extra clear vitality as hydrogen to be used in fertilizers and transport, and for export.
