The power line linking a 310-megawatt wind power plant to Kenya’s national grid is expected to be ready in June. The energy minister said that wind power provides about 25 MW of electricity in Kenya, which depends heavily on geothermal and hydropower, providing the bulk of the country’s total output of 2,341 MW.
The 400 kilovolt, 266 miles, the power line is integral for the Lake Turkana Wind Power project, to move its electricity from Loiyangalani in the north to Suswa in the centre of Kenya.
Vestas Wind Systems the Danish wind turbine maker and supplier of the wind farm’s 365 turbines, said last year the wind farm was ready for launch but would be idle until the government installs the transmission line.
The Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary, Charles Keter stated that it was 70% complete, with the remaining work putting up high voltage cables. Mr Keter added that “Already we are having six subcontractors on the site. We want the contractor to finish the stringing and some of the tower erection. We have given ourselves till June of this year, otherwise from June henceforth we will have to pay deemed energy, which as you are aware, is about 1 billion shillings (USD 9.7 million) per month.”
Construction of the power line started in November 2015 and had been due to be completed by December, and the timeline had once more shifted to September.
