KenGen’s Kindaruma Unit II has been handed over to the company after an upgrade by project contractors Andritz Hydro of Austria and Irans Farab Company
While Andritz Hydro took care of the electrical and mechanical work in the refurbishment, the Iranian firm looked after the civil work.
Speaking during the issuing of a takeover certificate, KenGen managing director Eddy Njoroge said the upgrade was part of a major renovation of the Kindaruma plant that will see its capacity increase by 80 per cent from 40MW to 72MW.
Njoroge said the process began with the installation of a third unit, which was commissioned in June 2012.
The KenGen managing director added that the new unit will increase the amount of power generated from the more affordable hydro generation.
Njoroge revealed, “We will be able to generate more power using same or similar amount of water as in the past and therefore achieve greater efficiency in utilising resources with the new machines.
The upgraded unit will generate 24MW of power from 20MW that was previously being generated.
The Kindaruma plant was commissioned in 1968 with two units generating a total of 40MW with a provision for a third unit, which was not installed due to low power demand at the time.
