New substation and transmission line to power Kenya technopolis
Construction of a transmission line with a substation set to power Kenya’s “silicon valley” is ongoing.
Image for illustration purposes.
Kenya, Nairobi: Construction of a transmission line with a substation set to power Kenya’s “silicon valley” is ongoing.
The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) recently posted an update on the project. The company said that the construction of the 37.5 km 400 kV Isinya-Konza Transmission Line is ongoing. The project involves the construction of a 400 kV double circuit Line with a 400/220 kV-2×350 MVA substation at Konza Technopolis.
The substation, located about 70 km south of Nairobi, is part of the Kenya Power Transmission Expansion Project (KPTEP), financed by Exim Bank of China and the Government of Kenya. The contractor is the China Aerospace Construction Group Company (CACGC). Officials are hoping the project will enable major domestic and foreign industries to be set up in the smart city.
The project has provided more than 1000 jobs to local communities. Konza Technopolis is a 2,024-hectare technology hub under construction by the Kenyan government, 64 kilometres south of Nairobi. Its cost is said to be $14.5 billion. It is being set up for business process outsourcing, software development, data centres, disaster recovery centres, call centres and light assembly manufacturing industries, and will also include a university campus focusing on research and technology, hotels, residential areas, schools and hospitals.
The substation is expected to supply power by March 2024. Hu Jing, chief representative in Kenya of CACGC, announced last May that more than 80% of construction and equipment installation has been completed.
Source: ESI Africa
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