Laying out of Kenya-Ethiopia transmission line set to begin in December

Last Updated 13 years ago by Kenya Engineer

There have been ongoing plans to see Kenya importing power from Ethiopia. Plans to connect the two countries via grid are underway with the transmission line project set to begin in December this year.

The project launched in May this year by African Development Bank will see to the setting out of 1,068-kilometre high-voltage electricity highway from Ethiopia to Kenya. The project will see to Kenya importing 2,000 megawatts from Ethiopia. However the country will for starters import 400 megawatts.

The US$1.26B project which was scheduled for completion in less than five years, involves the construction of transmission lines of about 437 km in Ethiopia and about 631 km in Kenya and associated AC/DC converter stations at Wolayta-Sodo (Ethiopia) and Suswa (Kenya) substations with a transfer capacity of up to 2,000 MW in either direction.

On the Kenyan side, funding for the project is secured and they are currently liaising with land owners where the line will pass, the way route.

Ethiopia earlier this year diverted the River Nile to allow construction of the Sh$4.7 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam from where Kenya will import power. The hydroelectric dam once complete will have a full capacity of up to 6,000 mega watts power.