Kenya: Loiyangalani-Suswa power transmission line, completed
The construction of Kenya's long-awaited 400kV Loiyangalani-Suswa power transmission line, which will evacuate 310MW of wind power from the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, has officially been completed.
Energy Cabinet Secretary, Charles Keter, recently pre-commissioned the 430 kilometres power line at Loiyangalani in Marsabit County ahead of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s official launch later this month.
Keter said the injection of renewable energy from the Turkana Wind Power project and additional 55MW from Garissa solar power will reduce the cost of power in the country.
He highlighted that the use of renewable energy has reduced the country’s reliance on diesel power. He added that the country now only uses 14% of diesel power down from 50%.
“With the rise of the price of fuel you would automatically expect to see the Fuel Cost Charge going up but with the injection of power from this line which is roughly 350MW it means from the current 700MW diesel power use we will hardly be running on 200MW of diesel,” said Keter.
He said only isolated areas like Mandera that are not connected to the grid will use diesel power.