Kenya has invited bids from investors to develop a new gas and a new coal fired power plant, with a combined output of up to 1800 MW, the ministry of energy has announced.
The Energy and Petroleum ministry said it was seeking investors to develop a 700-800 MW natural gas fired plant near the port city of Mombasa.
"The proposed project will be a 700-800 MW power plant to be located on a 300 acre parcel of land at Dongo Kundu or any other appropriate location between Mombasa and Kilifi," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also plans to build a 900-1000 MW coal power plant in Lamu, a coastal region in northern Kenya where the government wants to develop a $5.5 billion mega port that will link landlocked South Sudan and Ethiopia to the Indian Ocean.
Kenya’s generating capacity of 1664 MW is in danger of being overturned by rising power demand, currently about 1410 MW.
The government has previously announced it aims to add 5000 MW to Kenya's power output by 2017, both placating and encouraging the economic growth expected to push Kenya's power demand beyond 15 000 MW by 2030.