Sh 81billion power transmission puts Kenya high in global map – Weekly Citizen

Kenya has wrestled an authoritative space in energy industry following the country’s innovative game changer adventure that saw successful completion of the largest wind project in Africa.
The timely completion of Lake Turkana Wind Power which boasts as the single largest private sector investment at a whooping Sh81billion has left a positive impact on Kenya’s credit rating.
There is no denying that Africa has continued to occupy the rear seats on issues regarding renewable energy but in the recent times Kenya has begged to differ.
The country has been experimenting with renewable energy for some time now and has taken a huge step on the front.
It was evident that Kenya is now commanding the energy sector in Africa continent following a host of innovative projects including Lake Turkana Wind Power officially launched last week by Uhuru Kenyatta.
The project which is the largest wind farm in Africa and sits on over 40,000 acres has an installed capacity of 310MW of clean, reliable, low-cost energy and 365 wind turbines with a capacity of 850 KW each.
Speaking at the launch, Uhuru said electricity access is critical for achieving the Big Four Agenda and Vision 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
With the 310MW added into the national grid, the president ordered a reduction on the cost of electricity to SMEs, noting that the high cost of power was a major challenge to their efforts of scaling up business.
The successful implementation of the project demonstrates Kenya’s outstanding credentials as an investment destination in Africa and is a perfect example of the immense potential of the public-private partnership model of implementing development projects.
Fernandes Barasa, managing director of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company talked of sleepless nights as brains behind the project engaged on round the clock silent work to ensure that the project was timely delivered.
The historic project in Loiyangalani, Marsabit county has assured consumers of a cheaper power as the country moves towards achieving self-sufficiency in power production.

Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto, Energy CS Charles Keter and Ketraco MD during the commissioning

Barasa noted that Sh28billion Loiyangalani-Suswa power line has left remarkable achievement in Kenya’s spirited journey to delink from expensive and environmentally unfriendly fossil-fuel based power sources.
The 400KV line is 438km long and evacuates 310MV of power from Lake Turkana Wind Power to Suswa substation in Kajiado county.
The flagship project which traverses six counties including Marsabit, Samburu, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Nakuru, Narok and Kajiado was almost declared a white elephant venture when it briefly gridlocked for reasons including legal issues and insecurity.
“Kenyans will now consume more clean and cheap energy and less thermal generated power that is expensive,’’ Barasa said.
Lake Turkana Wind Power executive director Rizwan Fazal and Barasa jointly noted that the Loiyangalani Suswa transmission project and the Lake Turkana Wind Power have created job employment opportunity for the locals in Marsabit which is the host community.
The two noted that the project has opened trade, investment, economic activity, improved security, and improved access to health and education opportunities in the region that was previously marginalised.
Since its inception, Ketraco has engaged in turnkey power transmissions infrastructure projects in the country which is expected to improve reliability and enhance connectivity despite a host of challenges.
The construction of the Suswa substation began in 2012 while that of Loiyangalani substation kicked off in 2015 with Siemens S AS (France) the contractor.
However, the initial completion date was pushed due to challenges that saw Ketraco sign a new deal with the Consortium of NARI Group Corporation and Power China Guizhou Engineering Company for the completion of the line.
The transmission line would take care of future generation plants along the area it traverses, which will comprise of solar, geothermal and other wind farms, without necessitating construction of a new line.
Ketraco has however decried of rampant vandalism as a major challenge on the ground has the company has lost billions of shillings due to the vice.
“Vandalism is a very expensive affair since because losses are calculated at averagely 1m dollar per every 1km distance vandalised,’’ said Barasa.
The MD said the agency was losing millions from vandalism especially of copper lining used in underground cables.
Barasa has appealed to the government to declare harsher penalties to deter the vandals who are working in cahoots with untouchable scrap metal dealers in targeting materials both at the store and in the field.
“Vandals have really been a problem and sometimes force us to stop work and order a shipment since the metals are not locally available,’’ he pointed out.
He noted that the vice risks frustrating the company’s upcoming projects including the construction of 12,000km of transmission lines by 2035.
Since incorporation Ketraco has braved a host of challenges on delivery front and some of the already completed transmission lines are Sondu Miriu-Kisumu (132KV), Chemosit-Kisii (132kv), Kamburu-Meru (132kv), Sang’oro-Sondu (132kv), Mumias-Ranga’ala (132kv), Thika-Gatundu(132kv) and Kilimambogo-Thika Githambo (132kv).
Others are Rabai-Malindi-Garsen Lamu (220kv), Kindaruma-Mwingi-Garisa(132kv), Eldoret -Kitale (132kv), Olkaria 1ua-Suswa(220kv) and Machakos-Konza (132kv) among others.
Early this year consumers in Eastern region laughed all the way to the bank after the company constructed 132kv Wote-Sultan Hamud transmission line and 132/33kv Wote substation.
The move has drastically improved reliability and adequacy of power in the region.
Barasa noted that Wote transmission is strategic to the lower eastern region which has had no direct transmission line forcing the region to depend on a long medium voltage distribution feeder from Kiboko station.
The MD added that the medium voltage line was susceptible to faults that resulted in frequent and long durations of power outages in the area.
“The transmission line is expected to have 99pc reliability and availability as the station will be supplied by two alternative sources of power, Juja and Rabai,’’ he said at the launch of the project.
To ensure its smooth operations the company has set up a remote control desk centre, a superior technology for swift emergency response that has equally made Kenya a tiger at the Eastern Africa Power pool.
The technology being controlled by the Ketraco’s headquarters at Kawi Complex in Nairobi enables the company to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain the high voltage national electricity transmission grid.
The centre is connected to the national grid control centre located at Juja road substation alerts the company on real time updates on the status of the National grid.
“The power topography information is collected using a supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) system which sends it to the national grid control Centre using interconnected communication network,’’ noted Barasa.
The new centre receives actual status of the system voltages level and load capacity of the various transmission interconnections evacuating and terminating at a particular substation thereby informing the implementation of a new or an expansion of existing substations.
When transmission is broken or experiences a short circuit, the substation gets information and generates a report explaining the extent of the fault.
The MD explained that in the event the detected faulty is severe the circuit breaker will open the line to protect both the equipment and the national grid.
“At the national grind centre we have the Scada system which processes such information into something the controller can be able to understand in order to make informed decisions to maintain the national grid at the required perimeters,’’ observed Barasa.
The new technology has earned Kenya envy from her counterparts at the Eastern Africa power pool.
The power pool established in 2005 has seven Eastern Africa countries including Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Sudan.
The main goal of EAPP is to coordinate and harmonise the electrical power generation and transmission of each resource.
Uhuru noted that globally Kenya is celebrated as one of the leading countries in the world with an energy mix dominated with renewable sources especially from geothermal, a technology in which the country has become a centre of excellence.
Sh 81billion power transmission puts Kenya high in global map
Consumers assured of lower power bills