Konza Technopolis will have its own reliable power supply before THE end of the year 2021 as the government rushes to beat the 2030 timeframe to have the city up and running.
This follows the ongoing implementation of a 400 kilovolt (KV) Kenya Electricity Transmission Company’s (KETRACO) substation in the upcoming smart city.
“Today, we have got an assurance which is very good to us and to our investors. To hear that the timelines of the ongoing 400 KV substation will be done by the end of next year and that a transition line to link the technopolis and Isinya is great,” said Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) CEO Eng. Tanui.
KETRACO Chairman, Hon. Capt. Joe Mutambu said the ongoing work to set up a sub-station will provide investors with reliable access to competitively priced electricity.
It will tap into a diversified energy mix of green energy that includes hydro, geothermal, wind and solar power that will be distributed through the Isinya sub-station.
“With the assurance we have received from the Chairman of KETRACO, we are glad that this effort will support greatly our investors who will have set up to undertake operations in manufacturing among other ventures.” Eng. Tanui added.
According to Eng. Tanui, Konza is committed to working together with KETRACO and other stakeholders to realize the city’s dream and they are looking forward to further strengthening the partnerships in exploring ways of having attractive power tariffs for investors.
His sentiment echoed Mutambu’s who said that KETRACO is committed to work with KoTDA to meet Konza Technopolis’ energy demands.
“On our part as KETRACO, we are here to offer support to Konza through our development of the Konza-Isinya 400 KV project and this substation which will be key in the development of this city. We don’t expect any blackout considering that Isinya is the hub of all sources of power such as hydro, solar and geothermal,” he said.
“In terms of completion time, we expect this sub-station to be completed by next year December. With the conversation we have had today with the contractor, we hope to complete this sub-station project in due timelines”. KETRACO Chairman added.
The Konza Technopolis has an energy demand of 45 MVA for its Phase One with nine underground 11KV rings that will distribute power to different clusters of the city.
Phase One of the flagship technopolis has a light industrial zone that will host warehouses, hi-tech manufacturing assembly enterprises, incubators, workshops, and prototyping facilities focusing around thematic areas that meet Konza Technopolis sustainability framework and technology enhancement objectives. The substation will be crucial in providing energy to power these entities.
It is projected that Phase I of Konza Technopolis, upon completion, is expected to generate 17,000 jobs and contribute an additional USD 1 billion to Kenya’s GDP.
