Kenya’s aim to add to its national grid has been boosted following the close of a deal between South Korea’s Daewoo International and Kenya’s Kenyan Electricity Generating Company to build a Sh111 billion power station in Kilifi County.
The station to be powered by coal will be the largest in East Africa, with two turbines each producing 300 megawatts, says a statement by the Prime Minister.
Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who signed the agreement at Seoul, said the new power station is seen playing a key role in the Kenyan government’s objective to add 1,500 megawatts of new power capacity by 2019.
The Ministry of Energy has been engaged in coal mining since year 2000 in different wells in the country.The main wells of its focus have been Mui basin of Kitui and Mwingi districts. So far, 40 wells have been drilled and they have intercepted coal seams in 27 wells. The ministry has carried out a few tests on samples and established that the resource is of good quality.