Power

Decarbonising the power sector

94% of Kenya’s electricity came from renewable sources in 2020, mainly due to its significant hydro, geothermal and wind capacity, and to a lesser extent solar.¹ Oil maintains a 6% share. This is considerably less than in 2010, when it accounted for 36% of electricity generation, indicating Kenya’s success in sustainably expanding energy access.²

All 1.5°C compatible pathways show the share of renewables in the power sector increasing to 99-100% by 2030, in line with the government’s goal of achieving 100% renewable power by 2030.³

In its Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy, Kenya acknowledges the likelihood of continuously falling renewables costs and that this should feed into energy decisions, whose falling costs are best captured in the Deep Electrification pathway.⁴

Graph description

Power energy mix composition in generation (TWh) and capacities (GW) for the years 2030, 2040 and 2050 based on selected IPCC AR6 global least costs pathways. Selected countries include the Stated Policies Scenario from the IEA's World Energy Outlook 2023.

Methodology
- Downscaling power energy mix
Data References
- IEA, World Energy Balances 2023

Graph description

Emissions and carbon intensity of the power sector in selected 1.5°C compatible pathways.

Methodology
- Downscaling power carbon intensity
Data References
- IEA, World Energy Balances 2023
- IEA, Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy, 2023.

Indicator	2019	2030	2035	2040	2050	Decarbonised power sector by
Carbon intensity of power gCO₂/kWh	108	1 to 4	0 to 1	0 to 0	0 to 0	2025 to 2030
Relative to reference year in %		-99 to -96%	-100 to -99%	-100 to -100%	-100 to -100%

Indicator	2019	2030	2035	2040	2050
Share of unabated coal per cent	0	0 to 0	0 to 0	0 to 0	0 to 0
Share of unabated gas per cent	0	0 to 1	0 to 0	0 to 0	0 to 0
Share of renewable energy per cent	89	99 to 100	100 to 100	100 to 100	99 to 100

BECCS are the only Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies considered in these benchmarks
All values are rounded

Methodology
- How are power benchmarks defined?
Data References
- IEA, World Energy Balances 2023
- Download data as CSV

IEA, “Kenya - Countries & Regions.” ↩
IEA; Rapid Transition Alliance, “Doing Development Differently: How Kenya Is Rapidly Emerging as Africa’s Renewable Energy Superpower,” Rapid Transition Alliance, 2022 ↩
IRENA, “Kenya Spearheads Landmark Renewable Energy Initiative at Africa Climate Summit,” International Renewable Energy Agency, September 4, 2023 ↩
Ministry of Environment and Forestry, “The National Long Term Low Emissions Development Strategy 2022-2050.” ↩

What is Kenya's pathway to limit global warming to 1.5°C?

Decarbonising the power sector

Kenya's power mix

terawatt-hour per year

Kenya's power sector emissions and carbon intensity

MtCO₂/yr

1.5°C compatible power sector benchmarks

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