The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) is racing against time to complete the 308km Olkaria- Lessos -Kisumu transmission project.
ICT principal secretary Jerome Ochieng led a team comprising of officials from the project’s National Development Implementation Technical Committee to assess the progress of the project. The team sought to acquaint themselves with challenges affecting the implementation of the project with a view to recommending appropriate solutions.
The Sh 16billion project is expected to be completed by end of March 2021. It seeks to strengthen the link between South Rift, where there is massive geothermal potential, and the Western parts of the grid where demand is fast growing.
Scope of work
The development which is being financed by the government of Kenya and Japan International Cooperation Agency, involves construction of a 400/220/132kV transmission line in Kisumu. The line will transmit renewable energy from the geothermal power plant at Olkaria through Lessos to Kisumu. It will also supply reliable, affordable, and stable power to the Kisumu Port and strengthen the national grid.
KETRACO said that lot 1 involves the construction of the 229km 400kV double circuit transmission line from the Olkaria II substation to the Lessos substation. With a rating of 1200MW, the transmission line’s foundation and erection works are complete. Stringing work is ongoing for the remaining 38km out of the229km.
Lot 2 involves the construction of the 79km 220kV double circuit transmission line from the Lessos substation to the Kibos substation and 132kV from Kibos to Kisumu (Mamboleo). Lot 3 involves the construction of the new 220/132kV Kibos substation and extension of the existing400/220kV Lessos and 220kV Olkaria II substations,” the statement said. Substation works at Kibos and Olkaria are complete.
