Spanish energy solutions firm Isolux Corsan has been chosen to design, build and install high voltage direct current (HVDC) equipment between Ethiopia and Kenya for US$450mn
Isolux Corsan is working in collaboration with German company Siemens to provide a reliable power connection to electrical grids in both countries and improve the use of generation resources in the area.
The project is being financed by the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB), said Isolux Corsan.
The HVDC bipole will have a capacity of 2,000MW and will link two converter stations in Suswa (Kenya) and Sodo (Ethiopia) with a 1,000 km-long DC power line. Under terms of the consortium agreement, Siemens will supply the complete HVDC core technology, while Isolux Corsan will be responsible for the construction, installation and equipment in the converter and AC substations.
The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO) and the Kenya Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd. (KETRACO) placed the order. The project is scheduled to go into operation by the end of 2018.
