Kipevu I is a 73.5 MW oil power plant in Mombasa, Kenya. It is operated by Kenya Electric Generating Company. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 55k homes (estimated). It ranks #23 of 34 Kenya power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 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).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000050.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 117 MW for Kipevu III power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: Wikidata P2109; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 73.5 MW, Kipevu I 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.
Key facts
- Share of Kenya oil capacity
- 8.9% of 828 MW across 10 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 5 of 9 dated oil plants in Kenya are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest oil plants in Kenya
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Kenya Electric Generating Company. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen As) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 4.0°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.
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 #8 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
- Kipevu II (Tsavo) · Oil · 74.5 MW · Mombasa
- Kipevu III · Oil · 116.9 MW · Mombasa
- Rabai · Oil · 90 MW · Kwale
- Tana River nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 4,000 MW · Coast
- Kaloleni Cement Plant · Coal · 66 MW · Coast
- Vipingo power station · Coal · 600 MW · Coast
Location
Coordinates -4.04, 39.638 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Kipevu I?
Kipevu I is a 73.5 MW oil power plant in Mombasa, Kenya, commissioned in 2011.
Who operates Kipevu I?
Kipevu I is operated by Kenya Electric Generating Company.