CO2 reduction in Africa

This issue was addressed recently as part of a training series by Tractebel for energy supply planners in Kenya. Previously, the Tractebel energy experts developed a master plan for the Kenyan power generation and transmission sector. They are also providing suitable software tools for the implementation phase.

Renewable energy sources already generate the lion's share of power in Kenya. The country relies on geothermal, hydro and wind energy. Careful planning is necessary to ensure the innovative plants continue to grow as rapidly as they currently are. The role played by the existing oil-based power plants and a potential coal-fired as well as a gas-based power plant in the future energy mix is currently being analysed. An important aspect of this are the negative impacts of fossil fuel generation.

Individual software tools developed

A team of experienced Tractebel energy specialists are providing support to Kenya in this large-scale project with training, consultancy and new software tools. For this purpose, they have adapted the Tractebel LIPS-OP/XP tool for “Power System Operation and Expansion Planning” to the Kenyan task.

The NewClimate Institute is participating in the consultations as part of the “Ambition-to-Action” project (A2A). The project is sponsored by the German Federal Environment Ministry (http://ambitiontoaction.net/). A2A’s four partner countries are Argentina, Kenya, Indonesia and Thailand. The project offers governments analytical support to accelerate the development and implementation of their Paris Agreement contributions.

Tractebel master plan is being implemented

For many years, Kenya has relied on the experience of Tractebel for planning the expansion of its power grid. In 2016, a team of experts from Germany developed a comprehensive master plan for the power generation and transmission sector focusing on the integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency. During the implementation of this plan, Tractebel has continually updated the software tools it provided. In order to learn how to use these tools, the Kenyan energy supply planners took part in practical training sessions.

The active usage of LIPS-OP/XP in Kenya and the training contracts for Tractebel reveal that the tool and approach by the planners and decision-makers is gaining a high degree of acceptance in the sector. LIPS-OP/XP has already been used in more than 20 countries on three continents.

Tractebel training for energy supply planners in Kenya