KenGen receives upgraded Kindaruma dam

KenGen has received the newly installed third unit at its Kindaruma plant from the project contractors, Andritz of Austria who carried out the electrical and mechanical works and Farab Intenational of Iran that implemented the civil works.

The newly installed unit is supplying 24MW of the more affordable hydro generated electricity to the national grid and has undergone reliability tests in the last 30 days.

The Kindaruma plant upgrade will also see the two existing units that generate 20MW each refurbished to generate 24MW each, with the total output from the plant expected at 72MW of power once the entire project is complete.

Speaking during the issuing of a takeover certificate of the unit on Friday, KenGen Managing Director Eddy Njoroge said the project is a big boost to the company’s efforts to generate most of its power from renewable, affordable and stable sources, which are also environmental friendly. “We are happy that whereas we are already generating the bulk of our power from clean sources, this project makes that percentage even higher.

This coupled with cheaper generating costs can only mean more pocket friendly electricity for our country” Njoroge said.

Kindaruma which was commissioned in 1968 with only two units had a provision for installation of a third unit with its associated intake facilities. The third unit was, however, not installed at the time, due to low electricity needs in the country at the time.

The upgrading project is being financed by KfW and KenGen. The Electrical and Mechanical contract is being carried out by Andritz Hydro GMbH of Austria while the civil works are being implemented by Farab Company of with the supervision contract in the hands of Scott Wilson URS (UK).

Also included in the project is Modification of SCADA to include the new third unit at Kindaruma and Kamburu Control rooms, Construction of 12 semidetached houses for operators’ camp and Annexe building offices.

The project which was commissioned on February 25, 2010, has been completed in 28 months, as was scheduled.

After receiving the the unit, KenGen handed over Unit 2 to the contractors to commence refurbishing.