Through the construction of a Ksh43 billion electrical transmission line, Kenya will before the end of the year be able to import and export electricity to its neighbour Tanzania.
Kenya is installing meters along the 507.5-kilometre transmission line in order to commission it by December, according to Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir.
The Kenyan line runs from the Isinya substation to Namanga and is about 93 kilometres long. Due to compensation delays for residents affected by the project along the wayleave on the Kenyan side, its timely completion was questioned.
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The line, with a proposed transfer capacity of 2,000 megawatts, would allow the two countries to trade surplus electricity in addition to enabling the two economies to utilize Ethiopia’s hydropower.
“The 400 Kv (Kilovolt) line is finished and we should commission the line before the end of the year and this will allow the two countries to share excess power,” Energy Cabinet Secretary said on Tuesday.
“Between now and September, we are installing meters since stringing is already over along the Isinya-Namanga section that had been delayed over wayleave compensation,” he added.
Tanzania first declared in 2016 that it intended to export power to Kenya, with the first shipments expected to arrive in Nairobi by 2018. However, Ethiopia is currently Kenya’s main source of imported electricity as part of a 25-year arrangement that started in November of last year.
Kenya exported 218.29 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in the three months before to March, whereas Uganda exported 69.31 million kWh. Kenya at that time did not import any Tanzanian units.
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In an effort to enhance supply, the Kenya-Tanzania connection will also link the electrical pools in East and Southern Africa. This will allow power to be exchanged between the two regions.
