Adani among top contenders as Kenya seeks partnership to build power lines, curb blackouts

The Ministry of Energy is set to hold a consultative forum on Monday to hear proposals from private firms seeking to secure a public-private partnership (PPP) deal for the construction of new power lines. This initiative aims to address the country’s recurring blackouts.

Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira, speaking to Citizen TV, emphasized that to eliminate these blackouts, it is essential to build new infrastructure, a project that will require private partnerships due to its capital-intensive nature.

"The advantage of constructing transmission lines through PPP is that the private sector can implement projects more quickly. Therefore, in the next two to three years, we should be able to reduce blackouts significantly, making nationwide outages less likely," said PS Wachira.

The ADANI Group, the company currently involved in the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport controversy, is emerging as a key contender for the construction of these new power lines. The Ministry of Energy believes these lines will be crucial in addressing the blackout issue.

"The country faces a $5 billion shortfall in transmission lines, which contributes to the frequent nationwide blackouts. With adequate infrastructure, these blackouts could be avoided. There are many rumors circulating, and we will provide more details on these proposals during Monday's forum," PS Wachira noted.

This year alone, Kenya has experienced three major nationwide blackouts, largely attributed to the lack of alternative power routes to redistribute electricity when one system fails.

"Our grid still requires additional transmission lines. The Gilgil-Thika-Malaa-Konza line is needed to complete the larger 400kV Nairobi ring. Another critical line, Rongai-Keringet to Chemosit, is required to offload the Kisumu-Muhoroni line. Additionally, we urgently need the Menengai-Olkalou to Rumuruti line, as Rumuruti is currently facing significant power supply challenges," he added.

The government is also securing a $70 million loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) to construct a new national system control center. The current center, built in 1988, is outdated and in need of modernization.

"Had we had STATCOMs (Static Synchronous Compensators) in place, the over-voltage issues that caused the recent blackouts could have been avoided. We have secured approximately $100 million in funding from the World Bank to acquire these STATCOMs. Additionally, since our grid relies heavily on intermittent power sources, we are also securing another $100 million for battery energy storage," PS Wachira concluded.