Building information modeling needs to support Kenya’s ambitious clean energy development plans to position the nation as a leading global player in major energy infrastructure projects across Africa.

Kenya’s energy sector is undergoing a radical transformation driven by policies engendered by the country’s vision 2030 and the big 4 agendas at hand. Although we are still in our nascent stages in renewable energy installations, Kenya is accelerating its shift to more efficient and less polluting power technologies, such as nuclear hopefully by 2024. This domestic transition is also underway with a view to export markets for energy technology, as we aim to stamp our authority on the global energy sector.

Drive for Efficiency, Reliability, and Stability

Giant hydro projects like the gitaru, kindaruma and kiambere are relatively well known even outside of Kenya, but to deliver that nationalmandate; we need to see many renewable energy projects being built. Now, projects are also increasingly being focused on expanding Kenya’s clean energy capacity by enabling other types of low-emission energy production. One key technology that can support variable output renewables like wind and solar is pumped storage hydropower. Pumped storage forms a major plank of Kenya’s future energy complex because it is able to respond to variations in supply and demand in just a few seconds.

Demands for Efficient Design

Large infrastructure projects and the growing complexity of modern, more distributed, and variable energy networks is evidently placing increasing demands  on us the designers and developers of energy infrastructure.  Building information modeling (BIM) is a relatively new concept to the energy industry here in Kenya that can make a dramatic impact on such developments. BIM methodology is an intelligent model-based process that integrates all relevant information required for planning, design, construction, and operation.

Efficiency is an important aspect in the industry, with Kenyan power producers looking for ways to cut costs. Using a BIM approach will cut down capital costs as well as reduce design and construction times, helping these Kenyan power producers meet their goals. While major engineering projects like large hydropower installations can benefit from BIM, more distributed renewable energy generation projects can also take advantage of the benefits it offers. And, although increasing power demand will see far more thermal capacity built in Kenya over the coming decade, efficiency and specific outputs ofemissions like NOx and SOx per unit of energy produced will likely improve through the deployment of combined heat and power (CHP) and technologies such as supercritical and ultra-supercritical steam condition power plants. While modern thermal plants are incredibly efficient and much cleaner than their predecessors, combined heat and power applications are the most energy efficient and therefore produce the maximum usable energy for each kilogramme of pollution emitted. As Kenyan engineers, there needs to bring real effort in boosting the use of CHP energy technologies as a result.

**Find attached 2017-2037 Kenya’s Power Development Plans.**