Kenya Electricity Generating Company

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Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC
KenGen PLC
Company typePublic Liability Company
KN: KEGN
Industry Electric power
Founded1 February 1954;70 years ago (1954-02-01)
FounderGovernment of Kenya
Headquarters,
Area served
Kenya
Key people
Julius Migos Ogamba, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Eng. Peter Njenga,
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Revenue KSh.44.110 billion/= (30 June 2020)
KSh.18.377 billion/= (30 June 2020)
Total assets KSh.412.927 billion/= (30 June 2020)
Total equity KSh.211.318/= (30 June 2020)
OwnerGovernment of Kenya
Number of employees
2,600 (17 November 2023) [1]
Website http://www.kengen.co.ke/

Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC [2] abbreviated to KenGen, is a government enterprise in the Republic of Kenya charged with the production of electricity for the country. KenGen is the largest electric power producer in Kenya, generating over 60% [1] of the electricity consumed in the country.

Contents

Overview

KenGen relies on various sources to generate electricity, ranging from hydropower, geothermal, thermal and wind, with hydropower being the leading source of electricity.

The company owns 30 hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 825.69 MW, four thermal power plants generating 256 MW, seven geothermal power plants with a generating capacity of 713.13 MW and one Wind power plant at Ngong producing 26 MW, for a combined generating capacity of 1,817.82 MW. [3]

Presently KenGen operates five major geothermal power plants with 12 installed units, namely: Olkaria I, Olkaria II, Olkaria I unit 4 and 5, Olkaria IV, Olkaria V. 16 wellhead plants with 21 installed units. [3]

The Olkaria geothermal power stations are located in Nakuru County within the Hell's Gate National Park bordering Lake Naivasha within the Great Rift Valley.

History

The company was founded on 1 February 1954 as the Kenya Power Company (KPC) and was commissioned to construct the transmission line between Nairobi and Tororo in Uganda. This was to transmit power generated at the Owen Falls Dam to Kenya. KPC was also tasked to develop electricity generating facilities in the country. [4]

KPC was managed by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company under a management contract. In January 1997, the management of KPC was formally separated from Kenya Power as a direct result of reforms being undertaken in the energy sector and the entire economy. [4] Subsequently, on 19 January 1998 the company changed its name from Kenya Power Company to Kenya Electricity Generating Company. The trading name KenGen PLC was also adopted at this point. [5]

In 2006, KenGen was listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange after the Government of Kenya sold 30 percent of its stake in the company through a successful initial public offering that received over 280,000 applications. [4]

Ownership

KenGen currently has 6,594,522,339 shares. The stock of Kenya Electricity Generating Company is listed on the NSE, where it trades under the symbol: KEGN [3]

Kenya Electricity Generating Company Stock Ownership
RankName of OwnerPercentage Ownership
1 Government of Kenya 70.00
2Others30.00
Total100.00

List of power stations and installed capacity

See also List of power stations in Kenya

Current capacity

The current capacity of KenGen's power stations are;

Hydroelectric

Geothermal

Thermal

  • Kipevu I Diesel – 60 MW [6]
  • Kipevu III Diesel – 115 MW [6]
  • Muhoroni Gas Turbine - 55 MW

Wind

Future projects

KenGen plans to increase it installed capacity to 721 megawatts by 2025.[ citation needed ]

Geothermal

  • Olkaria I Unit 6 – 70 MW – Completion Year: 2022 [20]
  • Eburru Project – 25 MW – Completion Year: 2016 [17]
  • Olkaria VI – 140 MW – Completion Year: 2016/17 [21]
  • Olkaria VII – 140 MW – Completion Year: 2018 [21]
  • Olkaria VIII – 140 MW – Completion Year: 2018 [22]

Wind

  • Wind Power Station: Phase II – 300 MW – Completion Year: 2020[ citation needed ]
  • Marsabit Wind Power Plant – 200 MW – Will Begin Construction In 2026 [23]

Lists

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References

  1. 1 2 "KenGen 2019 Annual Report" (PDF). Kenya Electricity Generating Company. 30 June 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
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  16. "Kenya Leaps to Top 7 Geothermal Power Producers Globally". kenyanwallstreet.co.ke, Kenya. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  17. 1 2 "KenGen bets on Eburru for cheaper geothermal power". The Star, Kenya. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  18. "KenGen's Wellhead Technology | KENGEN". www.kengen.co.ke. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  19. 1 2 Kenya, Coastweek. "Coastweek – The most from the coast". www.coastweek.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  20. "Press Release".
  21. 1 2 "KenGen sets ambitious 5-year 580 MW geothermal development target | Think GeoEnergy – Geothermal Energy News". www.thinkgeoenergy.com. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
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  23. Kubwa, M. (7 December 2023). "KenGen to Construct Multi-Billion Marsabit Wind Power Plant which is Set to be the Second Largest Wind Power Project in Kenya". Constructionreview. Retrieved 30 June 2024.