Op-ed: Why bigger grid investments are needed

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Kenya has been carrying out load shedding in the past few months. The generation capacity has not kept pace with demand, and new grid injections have been from variable renewables. Yet the country has unexploited geothermal reserves, more than enough to meet current demand, writes Fiona Magomere, a grid expert working with Kenya Power.

• Fiona is a recipient of the Africa Queen of Energy Awards for her achievements and contribution, including mentorship to early-career women in the energy sector.

• In guest article she asserts that to truly harness our renewable energy resources, significant investments are needed to modernise and upgrade the grid infrastructure to make it resilient and future-ready.

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By Fiona Magomere

Just as a robust building requires a firm foundation, a country's energy infrastructure needs a firm foundation to thrive. While there are so many things that go into making the economy of a country run, energy is quite literally the heart of it all.

Africa’s energy landscape is evolving, but at a somewhat slow pace. Sub-Saharan Africa is greatly disadvantaged, with growth being slower than anywhere else, yet the population keeps growing exponentially.

Kenya stands out in Africa for its green energy success. A big portion of the country's energy mix comes from renewable sources, with geothermal energy playing a leading role. The geothermal reserves in the country are capable of generating between 7,000 MW and 10,000 MW. But we've only managed to generate 940 MW, roughly 10% of the potential.

While there are commendable strides in green energy generation, the current electricity grid is not yet equipped to fully leverage these resources. To truly harness our geothermal capacity, significant investments are needed to modernise and upgrade the grid infrastructure to make it resilient and future-ready.

Reliable access to electricity is fundamental for improving livelihoods. The electricity grid, therefore, serves as the cornerstone of the power sector, facilitating the distribution of electricity across the country. Like any foundation, building and strengthening the grid is a long-term, dynamic process. It must continually evolve and incorporate technological updates to ensure its stability and efficiency. A firm energy foundation relies on constant improvement and expansion across three vital components: generation, transmission, and distribution.

Kenya has invested heavily in the transmission block, but much more needs to be done to ensure the generation and distribution blocks serve the electricity needs of the country. Given the dynamic nature of the power sector, adopting smart grid technologies is essential for enhanced grid stability and ensuring the supply of quality power to all consumers.

A good grid needs to take into consideration future demand and serve the needs of users at any moment while ensuring enough reserves for contingencies. At our current peak demand of 2,316 MW and a total effective capacity below 3,000 MW, of which 645 MW is from variable renewable energy resources, we surely do not have enough reserves.

Kenya prides itself on having a largely green grid, but just like Zambia and South Africa, we are facing challenges of load shedding on account of a generation deficit as a result of not having enough firm capacity. This is primarily because our large hydropower plants are heavily reliant on weather patterns, leading to reduced output during dry seasons, while wind plants are often impacted during rainy periods, creating a cyclical generation problem.

Part of making the grid stable is what we call inertia, and this can only be achieved through having enough firm capacity in the generation mix. Many developed countries rely on nuclear, coal, or gas as primary electricity sources, providing a stable base. Coupled with modern, digitally interconnected grids, these countries can seamlessly integrate renewable energy resources, often without the immediate need for extensive energy storage.

With Africa having a very high potential for renewable energy, especially solar and wind, the move towards adoption is picking up faster, yet most of our grids are not ready. As stakeholders in the energy sector in Africa, we have to ask a crucial question: How firm is our foundation, and is it wise to take on more renewables without first ensuring a firm foundation is established?

Like many other African countries, Kenya needs long-term solutions to the power generation challenge. Part of the solution is to invest heavily in its geothermal reserves. Working on creating a firm foundation by modernising the grids, improving interconnectivity, and increasing firm capacity reserves will improve the state and quality of power supply in Africa.