Connecting Eastern Africa through Power Lines

Last Updated 14 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Electricity power has been a major problem especially in those countries undergoing major infrastructural developments like Kenya. Most countries in the Nile Equatorial region demand more electricity than they can produce resulting to frequent power shortages. Most rely on hydro-power which is frequently disrupted by climatic changes while some are looking at the possibility of nuclear energy .The need to curb these power related issues in the region led to the formation of the Interconnection of Electricity Grids Project of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries September 2009.

The interconnection is for creating a power exchange market among those member countries with the aim of reducing the cost of power supply, ensure security of supply and optimization in the use of the energy resources. It is to involve the construction and strengthening of interconnection of electricity networks of five countries, namely, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda in order to improve trans-boundary power exchange among those countries.

The interconnection electricity network in these countries is composed of different components that will cover more than 700 km of new transmission lines and 262 km to be upgraded. However, each country is to implement the project portion located on its territory and a Coordination Unit established at NELSAP is to coordinate the implementation of the project at regional level. Some projects like the Ethiopia –Kenya power interconnection underway already.

 
The Ethiopia –Kenya power interconnection project will involve laying out a 1,045-kilometre high voltage electricity transmission line and building of a base station at Suswa from where power lines will be pulled up to Sodo in Ethiopia. The transmission line route runs adjacent to the Marsabit –Moyale road southwards avoiding the Marsabit National Park. This interconnection will allow Kenya to import up to 2000MW of power from Ethiopia.

Other interconnections include the Kenya-Tanzania interconnection project. This project includes the construction and operation of a 510-km 400 kV interconnection power line. The interconnection will start from a proposed Kenya Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd. (KETRACO) 400 kV substation at Isinya in Kenya, 50 km south of Nairobi and then follow the alignment established under the Nairobi-Arusha line study up to Arusha, in Tanzania. From Arusha, the line will continue to Singida, where a 400 kV substation is planned by Tanzania Electric Supply Co. (TANESCO).This interconnection is to become a critical link in a future regional power pool, facilitating power exchange and the development and integration of electricity markets between Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Elsewhere, Uganda and DR Congo is to extend the Uganda electricity network to Beni and Bunia in DR Congo through a transmission line Nkenda – Beni – Bunia. The future interconnections between Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern DR Congo that are expected to be operational in 2014 under NELSAP creating a power pool.

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