Kenya to construct a new 220kV/400kV transmission line
Kenya: Fernandes Barasa from KETRACO said that through the 220kV/400kV line, western parts of the country will receive geothermal electricity.
Kenya: Fernandes Barasa, the Managing Director at Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) said that through the 220kV/400kV Olkaria-Lessos-Kisumu line, western parts of the country will for the first time receive geothermal electricity, a cheap, green and renewable source.
The high voltage line will be 300 km long and will connect counties in Western Kenya to geothermal power plants in Olkaria, Naivasha.
The West Kenya multi-million dollar project is financed by Japan through JICA and is expected to be completed by April 2020. The construction has been split into three phases with three firms, Kalpataru, NARI Group and Sieyuan, contracted to carry out the works.
The first phase involves construction of a 400 kV line from Olkaria to Lessos (213 km) with a capacity to carry up to 1,200 MW of electricity. Phase two runs from Lessos to Kisumu, a distance of 77 km with the 220 kV cable capable of carrying 400 MW of power.
The final phase involves construction of substation extensions at Olkaria, Lessos and Kisumu, with a new switchyard at Kibos which will be crucial in providing feeders and offering Kisumu County with alternative supply, creating redundancy, hence less downtime.
Source: Construction Review Online