The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) plans to commence construction of Homa Bay substation, part of the Sondu – Homa Bay – Awendo transmission infrastructure project.
This project will not only provide additional power transmission capacity on the national grid to meet the increasing demand of electricity in Homa Bay, Migoro and Kisumu counties, but also improve the quality and reliability of electricity as well as supply and provide electricity to areas in South Nyanza that are currently not supplied from the national grid.
Sondu – Homa Bay – Awendo project involves the construction of 106km 132kV single circuit line from Sondu through Homabay (Ndhiwa) to Awendo, with a rating of 72MW and two 132/33kV substations at Sondu and Homabay (Ndhiwa) and extension of 132kV Awendo substation.
Speaking during a media briefing for the Ndhiwa substation ground breaking ceremony scheduled to take place this Friday, KETRACO’s Ag. MD FCPA Fernandes Barasa said that this project was is in line with the Government’s goal to increase electricity accessibility in the rural areas to 40% by 2030.
“The project will allow increased access to electricity, reduce power losses, increase capacity and increase reliability of power supply in Southern Nyanza environs. This will facilitate investment in the area that has been constrained by lack of electricity, thus, contribute to improved quality of life for women and children through time saving on gathering firewood and through increased employment opportunities.” KETRACO’s MD & CEO FCPA Fernandes Barasa said.
The project will cost Kshs. 2.3 billion and is being financed by the Government of Kenya and KCB Bank of Belgium. Construction is scheduled to conclude in April 2017.
In addition to implementing projects that give access to areas that were off-grid, KETRACO is also implementing objectives that will evacuate power, strengthen the existing grid system and interconnect Kenya with neighboring countries.
About KETRACO
The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) is a 100% state-owned corporation incorporated in December 2008, under the Company’s Act Cap 486. Its mandate is to plan, design, construct, own, operate and maintain high voltage electricity transmission grid and regional power interconnectors. The infrastructure forms the backbone of the National Transmission Grid, in line with Kenya Vision 2030; with the aim of shielding electricity consumers from the higher retail tariffs.
KETRACO projects are undertaken based on the following themes:- Electricity Access Projects, System Strengthening Projects, Power Evacuation Projects and Regional Interconnection Projects.
Since 1954 when the first 220kV line between Nairobi and Jinja (Owen Falls) was constructed, only about 4000 kilometres of high voltage transmission network is in place to date. KETRACO will construct another 5000 kilometres in the next four years focussing on strengthening the existing Transmission System, penetrating into new generation & load distribution areas and enhancing Regional Inter-connections with Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia