UK-based private power firm Globeleq plans to instal a plant battery at its 52-megawatt Malindi solar unit to help extend supply to peak evening hours.
Solar power plants are at their peak productivity in the day, when demand is lower, especially for households. According to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), Kenya’s peak demand occurs between 8pm and 8.30pm in the coastal region, and between 7.30pm and 8pm for the rest of the country.
Globeleq, which is majority owned by British International Investment Plc (BII), started commercial production at the Malindi plant in December 2021 with an initial injection of 40MW into the national grid.
BII’s head of infrastructure equity for Africa and Pakistan Richard Charlton said the operator intends to expand the capacity of the plant to provide a higher load of constant power. He, however, did not disclose the expected capacity of the battery and the cost of the expansion, saying it is at design phase.
“The challenge for solar plants globally is how to work when demand is at its highest. That is precisely the thinking behind this plan — that Malindi (solar plant) could serve the coastal region better if it has some storage,” said Mr Charlton.
Kenya has solar installed capacity of 210MW spread across five plants— Garissa Solar (50MW), Cedate (40MW), Selenkei (40MW), Malindi Solar (40MW) and Alten Solar (40MW).
