State to increase Gogo plant capacity to 8.9MW

Gogo Hydropower plant is set to provide a peaking capacity of 8.6MW. [iStockphoto]

The government plans to revamp Gogo hydropower plant in Migori to increase electricity generation capacity from 2MW to 8.6MW.

The KenGen hydropower plant was commissioned in 1958.

The electricity generated from the plant is evacuated via an unstable 33kV distribution line to 132/33kV Awendo substation.

The project will improve the efficiency of the plant, optimally utilize the good inflows from River Kuja and achieve a higher output, thereby improving power supply in the region.

A feasibility study recommended redevelopment of Gogo Hydropower plant to provide a peaking capacity of 8.6MW.

Once redeveloped, the project will have a new powerhouse equipped with two vertical turbines generators, transformers and the associated equipment.

The hydropower plant will have a new 66/33kV substation and a dedicated 33kV double circuit power evacuation line, 29.9kms from the new power-house to Awendo substation.

The project will contribute to the power generation in western Kenya and its stability.

In September 2021, the European Union through the National Treasury and the Ministry of Energy provided a grant of Sh 110,612,926 (EUR 700,000) to KenGen for Gogo hydropower plant redevelopment feasibility study.

The redevelopment feasibility study was to assess the technical, financial, economic, environmental, and social viability of redeveloping Gogo hydropower plant to achieve a higher output by utilizing the available discharge and optimizing the equipment and structures.

The plant experiences frequent breakdowns mainly due to aging equipment.

The plant has outlived its economic life, the major equipment (turbine and generators) was built using the old technologies and it has become difficult to find spare parts of such equipment.

Lack of availability of the spare parts usually translates to long down time of the units during repair and/or maintenance.