Hydropower:This is the generation of electricity using falling water and is attractive due to its flexibility of use, availability and pollution-free nature. Traditional societies have used this energy on a small scale in water wheels to grind grain.
Large hydro projects have environmental and social consequences which include loss of forest and agricultural land and the displacement of people from sites. They can affect fish population, siltation, the occurrence of water-borne problems and the accumulation of chemicals in reservoirs. Tidal power:This is a form of ocean energy in which waves can be utilized for different energy applications. Kenya is strategically positioned to tap this energy resource given it borders the Indian Ocean.
are initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, conserve energy and promote sustainability as the search for a greener world and debate on climate change gain momentum in international conversations.
Renewable energies are also a blessing as they are inexhaustible sources of energy. They are replenished by natural processes. In this regard, the development of alternative energies promises to augment profitability, help to protect the environment, conserve natural resources and address the emerging issues of sustainability as a result of the advancement in science and technology. It also helps countries meet their energy need.
Alternative energy sources in Africa The major alternative energy sources in Africa are:
Biomass: This includes firewood, charcoal, plant and animal wastes, organic raw materials and biological waste generated through burning, gasification, decay, or fermentation processes. Biomass fuels are the most important source of primary energy in Africa. Firewood and charcoal account
for over 68 per cent of total primary energy consumption in Kenya, especially in rural areas where about 80 per cent of the total population live. Population pressure, deforestation and competing land uses, such as the increase in land under agriculture, have led to dwindling supplies of wood fuel. This has led to a wood fuel crisis in rural areas requiring intensified afforestation and agro- forestry schemes.
Deforestation and burning of wood are responsible for an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide which causes global warming through the greenhouse effect. Burning wood also emits
Opposite page: the African sun could provide energy; Above: A tea plantation could also be a biofuel source.
toxic products such as carbon monoxide and smoke which cause human health problems. Solar:The sun’s rays are converted into electricity using photovoltaic (solar) cells. Solar energy is an attractive source of energy due to its global distribution, high heat quality and inexhaustible supply. It is clean energy and does not pollute the environment; but its daily and seasonal variations call for storage facilities. Kenya receives between four and six kilowatt hours per square metre per day of solar radiation and this offers great potential. The initial capital costs required for installation of the solar equipment have high returns. Wind:This is the harnessing of wind to drive turbines. It has been used for thousands of years to propel ships, lift water, grind mills or generate electricity. It however suffers from unpredictability and its cost-effectiveness.
Geothermal: It is based on the use of natural heat generated from within the Earth’s crust. Its great potential in Kenya is presently harnessed to produce 128 megawatts of an estimated potential of more than 2,000 megawatts. Geothermal power is being generated at Olkaria station, near Lake Naivasha, and explorations are on-going at nearby locations. It has high potential to contribute immensely to power needs in Kenya, despite the high cost of technology to exploit the resource. Biofuels:This is the energy derived from the production and use of ethanol, biodiesel, methanol and biogas generated from agricultural crops. It provides potential as a substitute for petrol in car engines. There is growing interest in this energy sector although concerns are being raised over its competition with food crops and food security issues.
The advantages and the issues • They improve energy security as the diminishing stocks of oil
The Parliamentarian | 2010: Issue Three - Kenya | 29