Kenya Power technicians install a transformer in Kiriguri village, Manyatta Constituency, Embu County. [File, Standard]
Kenya increasingly relied on thermal power plants in the 12 months ending on June this year, as electricity demand rose and authorities turned to the fossil fuel powered power plants.
The increased use of thermal energy reversed the trend in recent years that had seen a drop in use of electricity sourced from the power plants that burn heavy fuel oil for power production.
A new report by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) shows that electricity sourced from thermal power plants rose by 18.5 per cent and accounted for 9.23 per cent of the electricity that Kenyans used over the year to June 2025 up from 8.23 per cent in the year to June 2024.
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The report shows that over the one year, to June 2025, 1,335.62 gigawatt hours (GWh) of thermal power was fed to the national electricity grid. This was a growth of 18.5 per cent, from 1,127.11GWh generated in the year to June 2024. Total energy generation stood at 14,472GWh.
The higher use of thermal is despite governments push for a shift that prioritises renewable energy sources over thermal power.
Epra attributed the increased use of thermal power to higher demand at peak hours.
“Thermal sources contributed 9.23 per cent up from 8.23 per cent. The increased share of thermal generation is as a result of a rise in electricity demand during peak periods which occurs between 7PM and 10PM daily,” said Epra in its Energy and Petroleum Statistical report for the year to June 2025.
“Thermal energy resources are utilised to meet peak demand, for voltage support and to counter the intermittence of variable renewable energy resources.”
In the report, Epra noted that during the year to June this year, a new peak demand was recorded in February rose to 2,316.2MW, representing a 6.3 per cent increase compared to a peak of 2,177MW the previous year.
Post reporting period in June, peak demand – which is the maximum power needed on the grid at a specific time — has recorded several new highs, the last one being on August 5 at 2,363.41MW, a significant increase in grid stress.
Despite the increased output from the thermal power plants, their overall installed capacity declined following retirement of one of the plants whose Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) expired in December 2023. Installed thermal capacity, according to Epra, stood at 564.8 MW, a decline from 636.1MW in June 2024.
There was also a reduction in the share of power generated from geothermal, which accounted for 39.51 per cent of energy generated compared to 41.71 per cent in the period to June 2024. This was despite an overall increase in the power generated from geothermal, which remained the largest energy source in the country.
Aside from resorting to higher thermal power production to meet demand, Kenya also increased imports from its neighbours in the region. Power imports from the region accounted for 10.66 per cent of the total energy generated during the year to June.
Ethiopia accounted for 83 per cent of the imports, with Epra noting that the year to June 2024 was the first full year of commercial operations of the Ethiopia import programme which was commissioned in December 2023.
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Kenya Power technicians
install a transformer in Kiriguri village, Manyatta Constituency, Embu County.
[File, Standard]
Kenya increasingly relied on thermal power plants in the 12 months ending on June this year, as electricity demand rose and authorities turned to the fossil fuel powered power plants.
The increased use of thermal energy reversed the trend in recent years that had seen a drop in use of electricity sourced from the power plants that burn heavy fuel oil for power production.
A new report by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) shows that electricity sourced from thermal power plants rose by 18.5 per cent and accounted for 9.23 per cent of the electricity that Kenyans used over the year to June 2025 up from 8.23 per cent in the year to June 2024.
Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp
The report shows that over the one year, to June 2025, 1,335.62 gigawatt hours (GWh) of thermal power was fed to the national electricity grid. This was a growth of 18.5 per cent, from 1,127.11GWh generated in the year to June 2024. Total energy generation stood at 14,472GWh.
The higher use of thermal is despite governments push for a shift that prioritises
renewable energy sources
over thermal power.
Epra attributed the increased use of thermal power to higher demand at peak hours.
“Thermal sources contributed 9.23 per cent up from 8.23 per cent. The increased share of thermal generation is as a result of a rise in
electricity demand during peak
periods which occurs between 7PM and 10PM daily,” said Epra in its Energy and Petroleum Statistical report for the year to June 2025.
“Thermal energy resources are utilised to meet peak demand, for voltage support and to counter the intermittence of variable renewable energy resources.”
In the report, Epra noted that during the year to June this year, a new peak demand was recorded in February rose to 2,316.2MW, representing a 6.3 per cent increase compared to a peak of 2,177MW the previous year.
Post reporting period in June, peak demand – which is the maximum power needed on the grid at a specific time — has recorded several new highs, the last one being on August 5 at 2,363.41MW, a significant increase in grid stress.
Despite the increased output from the thermal power plants, their overall installed capacity declined following retirement of one of the plants whose Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) expired in December 2023. Installed thermal capacity, according to Epra, stood at 564.8 MW, a decline from 636.1MW in June 2024.
There was also a reduction in the share of power generated from geothermal, which accounted for 39.51 per cent of energy generated compared to 41.71 per cent in the period to June 2024. This was despite an overall increase in the power
generated from geothermal
, which remained the largest energy source in the country.
Aside from resorting to higher thermal power production to meet demand, Kenya also increased imports from its neighbours in the region. Power imports from the region accounted for 10.66 per cent of the total energy generated during the year to June.
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Ethiopia accounted for 83 per cent of the imports, with Epra noting that the year to June 2024 was the first full year of commercial operations of the Ethiopia import programme which was commissioned in December 2023.
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By Macharia Kamau