Yokogawa Electric Corporation has completed installation of an IoT system for the Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) that utilizes mobile communications and other technologies to perform integrated remote performance management at geothermal power stations I Additional Unit (AU), II, IV, and V of the Olkaria geothermal complex. The project was carried out under an agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) that was finalized in January 2020, utilizing funding provided by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to UNIDO. Out of all power stations, Station IV is the farthest from the complex’s administrative office, some 20 km away by road.
In Kenya, electricity consumption in 2021 tripled compared to the year 2000 in line with population growth and economic development, signaling a pressing need to secure a stable supply of energy. The country’s thermal power plants rely to a considerable extent on imported fuel oil, and renewable energy sources such as hydropower and solar power are affected by changing climatic conditions. The Kenya Republic has one of the world’s largest geothermal resources, so the Government of Kenya has turned attention to the use of geothermal power, which in addition to being a highly stable source of power also has the advantage of low CO2 emissions. Since 2000, Kenya has steadily increased capacity, and as of 2021 geothermal energy is the top source of energy in Kenya, accounting for over 40% of the country’s generation capacity.
