Olkaria geothermal line to be ready in April

A Kenya Power sub-station. FILE PHOTO | NMG

What you need to know:

  • The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) says its Olkaria - Lessos- Kisumu line will be completed by April, ending power outages that have plagued the western region.
  • At the moment, the region relies on an 80kV transmission mostly fed by weather-dependent Sondu Miriu and Turkwel hydro-power stations and costly imports from neighbouring Uganda.

The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) says its Olkaria - Lessos- Kisumu line will be completed by April, ending power outages that have plagued the western region.

At the moment, the region relies on an 80kV transmission mostly fed by weather-dependent Sondu Miriu and Turkwel hydro-power stations and costly imports from neighbouring Uganda.

The 300 kilometre high-voltage-220 kilovolt (kV)/400kV line under construction is to transmit “cheap, reliable, green and renewable energy” from Naivasha.

“The line evacuates power from the geothermal generation in Olkaria, connecting to national grid. Once the line is complete and energised it will significantly solve the power outages and cost issues,” said Ketraco Land Economist Charles Oguoko.

Mr Oguoko made the remarks last Friday during a visit by a multi-agency team to Muhoroni and Miwani, both in Kisumu County, where the second lot of the project is set to take place.

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