Kenya hit peak electricity demand in December

A Kenya Power technician repairs a transformer. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Kenya recorded its highest electricity demand of 2,149 megawatts (MW) in December, pressing the country to step up its generation capacity.

Data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) shows that the peak was recorded on December 14 last year, attributed to an uptick in economic activities.

“The peak demand reached 2,149 MW which was recorded on 14th December 2022,” Epra says in the report.

The steady rise in demand means Kenya requires to increase its energy generation or risk load shedding or power rationing for some customers at peak usage should the electricity demand outstrip supply.

It occurs between 7.30 pm and 8 pm for the rest of the country, while in the coastal region, the peak is recorded between 8 pm and 8.30 pm.

Kenya has an installed capacity —the maximum power generation capacity that the power plants can achieve— of 3,601.76 MW.

Read: Kenya electricity capacity crosses 3,000MW mark

Geothermal accounts for nearly a third of the installed capacity at 953.7 MW (28.04 percent) followed by hydro at 867.54 MW (25.5 percent), while thermal comes third at 20.06 percent or 703.23 MW.

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