The Kenyan Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) announce the near completion of the Kenya-Ethiopia & Kenya-Tanzania national electricity grids. Ketraco is a Kenyan state-owned electric company that plans, constructs, operates, and maintains high voltage electricity transmission grid and regional power interconnectors. It aims to be Africa’s top inter-connector and a world-class electricity transmission company. The Kenya-Ethiopia line is expected to be completed in October, and the Kenya-Tanzania in December.
Construction on the Kenyan side consists of a 612 km line to link to Ethiopia, while it has a 93 km line for the Tanzania connector. The 1,045km line connects at the Moyale common border for the Kenya-Ethiopia line. It has a capacity of 2,000 MW in either direction, more than Kenya’s current maximum consumption of about 1,900 MW. Ethiopia’s construction is completed and waiting for Kenya’s side, which is at 90% completion. The projected has been receiving funding, $620 million, from the African Development Bank (AfDB), French Development Bank (AFD), World Bank, and the Government of Kenya.
Under the Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) Master Plan, the project is expected to integrate the power systems of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. The Ethiopia-Kenya line will extract Ethiopia’s hydropower due to its low cost, while the Kenya-Tanzania line links to the Southern Africa power pool. The aim is to operationalize East Africa’s power pool and facilitate regional power trade.
