- Kenya Power says it has completed repair works on the 66/11kv EPZ sub-station to boost the stability of electricity supply to EPZ Industries in Athi River, Kitengela and the surrounding areas
- The repair works involved the replacement of faulty switchgear, which diminished the substation’s capacity to serve customers in the area
- Kenya Power said it would commission the substation on Sunday, September 25, following the completion of the repair works
Kenya Power said on Friday, September 23, 2022, that it had completed repair works on the 66/11kv EPZ sub-station to boost the stability of electricity supply to EPZ Industries in Athi River, Kitengela and the surrounding areas.
The company issued a statement saying that the repair works involved the replacement of faulty switchgear, which had diminished the substation’s capacity to serve customers in the area.
Kenya Power said it would hence commission the substation on Sunday, September 25, following the completion of the repair works.
The state-backed utility company said that the commissioning exercise would involve a shutdown of electricity supply to Kitengela and the surrounding areas for 8 hours to facilitate reconnection to the EPZ substation.
Kenya Power Acting Managing Director Geoffrey Muli said the commissioning of the EPZ substation is a major milestone in their efforts to stabilize the supply of electricity around the area.
“It underscores our commitment to avail quality and reliable power supply to our customers in line with the critical role that we play to drive the country’s social and economic growth,” Muli.
“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience they will experience as a result of the shutdown, which is necessary to facilitate the commissioning exercise.”
The company said that to mitigate the loss of revenue and disruption of livelihoods for customers in Kitengela and its environs, the company has been serving them from the Athi River and Syokimau substations.
“Over the years, we have reinforced the capacity of our network by constructing new substations and distribution lines to facilitate the connections of new customers as well as to create a redundant network.”
The company added that to boost the capacity of the EPZ substation, plans are underway to construct a dual 11KV power line linking the EPZ substation to the Lukenya substation to provide an additional alternative source of power supply.
KenGen competing against monopoly Kenya Power earnings
In a separate story, KenGen’s Olkaria I Additional Unit (AU) 6 Geothermal Power Plant was recently commissioned, injecting an additional 86MW into the national grid, further advancing Kenya’s green energy leadership.
The power plant propels KenGen’s total installed energy capacity to 1,904MW while its geothermal capacity now stands at 799MW. The commissioning of the plant further demonstrates the government’s effort to build a greener national energy pool from clean energy sources.
Kenya also commissioned another 172MW Olkaria V geothermal Power project earlier developed by KenGen with construction being completed in 2019.
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Amb. Dr. Monica Juma noted that the Ministry will continue to fulfill its mandate of providing clean and affordable energy for the nation with a focus on countering climate change.
“The completion of this project marks another milestone in Kenya’s efforts towards achieving energy security as well as accelerating economic growth through improved energy access. It represents an important moment in our efforts to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and create a more sustainable future for us all,” said the CS.
For his part, KenGen Board Chairman, Gen. (Rtd) Samson Mwathethe said the project is vital for Kenya because considering that adequate supply of electricity is undeniably a primary enabler for economic development.
“Through the experiences of this project, we are glad we managed to gain new experiences in geothermal development. Notably, the commissioning of Olkaria I Unit 6 propels us an inch closer to the Geothermal Gigawatt Club.”
His sentiments were echoed by KenGen Managing Director and CEO, Rebecca Miano, who noted that the company’s geothermal agenda was to increase production in line with the growing demand for power while also ensuring that the business lives up to the expectations of shareholders.
