KTDA to spend Sh5 billion on hydro power

Last Updated 15 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) plans to construct hydro power plants in the tea growing areas to cut its massive power bill and beat erratic power supply by the national grid. A report by KTDA the tea agency will construct the units along rivers in tea growing zones.

KTDA manages more than 60 tea factories for 500,000 small holder tea farmers and plans to set up a total of 16 hydro power plants on rivers close to tea factories. The 16 sites have been proposed by the Ministry of Energy and have a potential of producing 28.33 megawatts

Areas indicated  include South Mara, Mutonga, Itaru,  Thuci, Nyamindi, Kiringa , Mara gawa, Chania, Kipsonoi, Itare (Chemosit), Gucha (Rianwakwana), Gura and Mathioya. The projects will be under a nearby factory or under joint venture of two or more factories. From the region.

The Ministry of Energy is conducting a feasibility study on a further 14 sites around the country. Among those, the report says, KTDA was now giving priority to developments at Chemosit and Rianyakwana hydro projects.

Imenti project was the first of its kind among the KTDA managed factories and a power purchase agreement with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company has been signed. Imenti Tea Factor Company is already generating 1 megawatt through the Imenti mini-hydro project. The power purchase agreement authorizes Imenti to supply surplus power to the national grid.

A second project under construction at Gura river in Nyeri  is a four-factory partnership that will serve the KTDA factories at Gitugi, Irani and Gathuthi. When complete the 17.8 MW project will supply power to the four factories and sell excess to the national grid.

The Agency, with technical support from the Ministry of Energy, has identified 14 sites with potential hydro-electric power generation potential. The report which was used to brief directors from the  recent zone six  meeting at  Litein factory says that two of the potential sites  with the assistance of Greening  the Tea Industry in Africa project. KTDA has completed developing a policy framework to actualize development of the sites.

The agency has incorporated KTDA Power Company Ltd (KTPC) as an investment firm to steer the hydropower initiatives during the implementation phase and also to manage the generating stations once commissioned. KTDA has come up with regional power companies which shall be registered to develop suitable hydro generation sites within their zones.