Kenya’s Mombasa port will construct a new power back-up facility after suffering frequent blackouts at a time when the port has been under pressure to clear cargo faster under a regional trade plan
Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have signed agreements to boost regional trade by cutting red tape to hasten the movement of goods between the port of Mombasa and the hinterland.
The new power facility at the port will supply power to a new berth commissioned in August and a second container terminal being built at a cost of US$300mn, the port's management said.
The port’s corporate affairs manager Bernard Osero said that the backup plant will produce 132Kv of electricity up from the current 11Kv, and will cost US$6.4mn to build. It is expected to be completed by February 2014.
“It will cushion port operations from frequent power outages and enable the port to meet the growing electricity demand from existing facilities and future expansion projects,” Osero said.
