A new publication exploring electrification pathways for Kenya

Today, only 46% of the population in Kenya has access to electricity. In order for the country to reach the electrification target of universal access to modern energy services by 2030, as set by the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 7, this paper  investigates different electrification pathways creating soft links between OSeMOSYS  and OnSSET , the new Open Source Spatial Electrification Toolkit developed in the division of Energy Systems Analysis at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH-dESA). In this way, both spatial and temporal dynamics of the system are considered, and peculiarities of off-grid and grid electricity systems can be better represented in the model. Main results suggest to shift from a high penetration of stand alone systems towards an increasing penetration of mini-grids technologies and grid extensions in the system, when end users consumption increases. Moreover, it identifies solar PV panels as key technology to electrify rural areas in the country.