Migori's Gogo plant boosts capacity to 8MW

The PS for Energy Alex Wachira (C) joins senior Kengen officers and contractors in touring Olkaria I power plant in Naivasha which is currently undergoing rehabilitation with plans to pump 63mw into the national grid once complete. [Antony Gitonga/Standard]

The push to phase out thermal power by 2030 has received a major boost after the Gogo Hydropower Plant in Migori County received Sh8.3 billion for its rehabilitation.

Under the project that is funded by the German Development Bank (KfW) and the European Union, the power plant will increase its production from the current 2MW to 8.6MW.

The move comes a couple of weeks after KenGen noted that peak demand for electricity was on an upward trajectory, with industrial growth and connection of power to more homes contributing to the numbers.

According to KenGen, the deal paved the way for the full redevelopment of the plant, which has been operational for the last 64 years.

KenGen MD Engineer Peter Njenga said that the financing package included a €35m (Sh5.2 billion) concessional loan from KfW and a €3.1m (Sh463.7 million) grant from the EU, with KenGen contributing €0.7m (Sh104.7 million) towards the project.

He hailed the agreement, noting that KfW had been a long-standing partner in Kenya’s renewable energy journey since 1977, with financing support to KenGen now totaling over €253m.

“Once complete, Gogo’s capacity will rise from the current 2MW to 8.6MW, providing a much-needed boost to reliable and stable electricity in Western Kenya,” he said.

He termed the support as timely for the region, often hampered by erratic supply due to increased demand against low production, a move that had adversely affected industrial production.

Njenga noted that the redevelopment was not just about boosting electricity production, but shaping a brighter future for Western Kenya by supporting industry, agriculture, tourism, and livelihoods through clean and affordable energy

“For long, Western Kenya has recorded electricity outages, and this rehabilitation project, once complete, will address this challenge,” he said in a release published in the company’s weekly report.

The move comes weeks after Kengen announced that the rehabilitation of the country’s oldest geothermal power plant, Olkaria I in Naivasha, would be ready by September next year.

According to the PS for Energy Alex Wachira, the power plant was initially producing 45MW, but once fully rehabilitated, this would rise to 63MW.

“The project is about 76 percent complete, at a cost of Sh15.6 B, and the contractor will be able to meet the timelines that we have set, because we urgently need power,” he said.

He added that the government was working on another 70MW from Menengai as part of phasing out thermal power by 2030.