Kenya strikes power lines sharing deal with Tanzania, Zambia
Kenya has also announced plans to start exporting 30MW to Rwanda by July 2015. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
The shared infrastructure will enable Kenya to offload excess capacity and buy cheap power during low seasons, cutting the need for expensive diesel generators.
Plans for the development of the Kenyan segment which will run from Isinya to Namanga are under way with the line expected to be ready by December 2016.
Kenya has signed an agreement to develop and share power transmission lines with Tanzania and Zambia.
The pact dubbed the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya Power Interconnector (ZTK) project is set to open the country to a regional power market as it steps up its generation capacity.
The shared infrastructure will enable Kenya to offload excess capacity and buy cheap power during low seasons, cutting the need for expensive diesel generators.
“The entire project which will involve the construction of 2302 km of 400kV double circuit lines and a 373 km 330kV single circuit line at an estimated cost of Sh126 billion ($1.4 billion) will be completed by December 2018,” said the Energy ministry in a statement.
Plans for the development of the Kenyan segment which will run from Isinya to Namanga are under way with the line expected to be ready by December 2016.
Export
“Kenya has completed the feasibility studies and detailed project design and has mobilised financial resources for the construction of the Isinya-Namanga segment. Financial close has been achieved and the EPC procurement process has started,” the statement added.
Zambia and Tanzania, however, expect to complete their significantly longer segments in 2018.
The new agreement adds to the already under way plan to form a regional power pool among several Eastern Africa countries. The setting up of power transmission lines connecting Kenya to Ethiopia and Uganda is ongoing.
Kenya has also announced plans to start exporting 30MW to Rwanda by July 2015. The power will be conveyed KenGen through Uganda’s grid which is already connected to Kenya’s.
The ZTK project will also see the interconnection of the East Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and the South African Power Pool (SAPP).
“Interconnected countries will be able to substitute costly thermal energy with less costly thermal energy, geothermal and hydro energy.”
The Eastern Africa Power Pool established in 2005 which has 10 members has an ultimate objective of establishing regional electricity market based on regional least cost options to benefit all member states.
The construction of the 1,068km power line between Kenya and Ethiopia that will have a transfer capacity of up to 2,000 MW.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
