Kenya is considering bringing in ship-based power plants from a Turkish company as the country struggles with rising electricity demand and frequent nationwide blackouts.
Reports indicate that the government is in talks with Turkish energy firm Karpowership to help boost electricity supply, especially along the coastal region.
The discussions, which reportedly started in 2024, are said to be at an advanced stage.
According to Joseph Siror, the plan could help ease pressure on the national grid as Kenya experiences a sharp increase in power consumption by households and businesses.
Karpowership operates floating power plants mounted on ships that can be connected directly to a country’s electricity grid within a short time.
The company says it has 45 vessels operating across Africa, Europe, Asia and South America, with the capacity to generate more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity.
One of the main attractions of the floating plants is their speed. Unlike conventional power projects that can take years to complete, the ships can reportedly be deployed and connected to the grid in less than 30 days.
Kenya’s electricity demand has grown rapidly in recent years, putting the national grid under pressure.
Peak demand is said to have risen from 1.8 gigawatts in 2018 to about 2.4 gigawatts in 2025, even as the country slowed down new electricity generation projects after the government imposed a freeze on power purchase agreements in 2018.
The moratorium, which was only lifted in November last year, limited the addition of new electricity supply despite the growing demand.
At the same time, electricity imports into Kenya have continued to rise, reaching a record 11 per cent of national consumption in 2025, a sign that local supply has not been able to keep up.
Similarly, the contracted electricity supply for Kenya Power has continued to rise at a steady pace, increasing from 2.9 gigawatts according to analysts who claim that the increase is still inadequate to sustain the nation.
In recent times, the high strain on the power grid has caused rationing and planned power cuts in many areas across the country.
According to energy experts, there is little to no electricity margin capacity in the country, making disruptions at power stations likely to cause power blackouts.
As per analysts from BloombergNEF, additional electricity supply is critical for Kenya to stabilize its electricity grid due to rising consumption demands.
Floating power plants operate like portable electricity production stations in seas. They are ships fitted with power generation units that generate electricity, which is connected to the country’s power grid via ports located near them.
Although they are not considered a permanent solution to energy generation, floating power plants are usually used in emergencies or temporarily while nations work on more permanent sources of electricity.
If the deal is finalised, Kenya would join several countries that have relied on Karpowership during periods of electricity shortages and power crises.