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Iberafrica power station

Oil power plant in Nairobi, Kenya. Approximate location -1.293577, 36.81985.

OilNairobiKenyaEngine

Iberafrica power station is a 53 MW oil power plant in Nairobi, Kenya. It is operated by Iberafrica Power (EA) Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 40k homes (estimated). It ranks #30 of 34 Kenya power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 years old — relatively modern. In context, oil supplies about 10.0% of Kenya's electricity; the national grid averages 95 gCO₂/kWh (90.0% low-carbon) (2025).

53MW installed capacity
39,795homes powered (est.)
2004commissioned (~22 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GOGPT_iberafrica_kenya.

Data status

Known data

FacilityIberafrica power station GEM-GOGPT
CountryKenya · Nairobi GEM-GOGPT
Coordinates-1.293577, 36.81985 GEM-GOGPT
FuelOil GEM-GOGPT
MW installed capacity53 MW GEM · 2026 · L100000408163; operating plant capacity
OwnerIberafrica Power (EA) Ltd [100%] GEM-GOGPT
Commissioned2004 GEM-GOGPT
TechnologyEngine GEM-GOGPT

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions104,463 t CO₂·a⁻¹ calculated
Capacity rank in country#30 / 34 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#10 / 10 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.64× · 83.2 MW · n=10 calculated
Homes-powered equivalent39,795 calculated
Environmental severityC3 · 33/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000408163; fuel: GEM GOGPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 53 MW, Iberafrica power station is below the median oil plant in Kenya (83.2 MW). Technically it is described as Engine. Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest oil plants in Kenya

Kipevu III: 117 MW117Kipevu IIIIberafrica I & II (Nairobi south diesel PP): 109 MW109Iberafrica…Rabai: 90 MW90RabaiThika: 88 MW88ThikaAthi Triumph power station: 83 MW83Athi Trium…Athi River power station: 80 MW80Athi River…Kipevu II (Tsavo): 74 MW74Kipevu II …Kipevu I: 74 MW74Kipevu I

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Iberafrica Power (EA) Ltd [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 1.3°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

~11°Ctypical annual mean
~18°Ctypical warm-season mean
Temperate oceanic: hot and humid year-round with little seasonal variation

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
3.6°Cseasonal temperature swing
397 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #10 largest oil power plant of 10 in Kenya by capacity.

Kenya has 10 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 828 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -1.293577, 36.81985 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Iberafrica power station?

Iberafrica power station is a 53 MW oil power plant in Nairobi, Kenya, commissioned in 2004.

How many homes can Iberafrica power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 39,795 homes (estimated).

Who operates Iberafrica power station?

Iberafrica power station is operated by Iberafrica Power (EA) Ltd [100%].

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