NAIROBI, –Kenya Power today said it is set to develop an underground power network to improve the reliability and quality of power supply in the three major cities at a cost of 240 million U.S.dollars.
The company’s CEO Joseph Njoroge said that the project which will be rolled out in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu entails conversion of all the overhead power lines to an underground cable system in the three cities. “Underground networks will also help improve aesthetics of our cities and towns, and will be safer to the public compared to overhead networks.
At the same time, the environment becomes healthier due to reduced emissions from electromagnetic fields,” he said in Nairobi. However, he described the process of obtaining wayleaves (right of way) or sharing wayleaves trace with other infrastructures such as roads as challenging since it is often assumed the road reserves are meant for expansion of roads only.
He cited the intention by local authorities to collect levies for the passage of electricity infrastructure as untenable, adding that the company operates in a regulated environment and that such charges would end up hurting consumers more as that cost would end up being passed on to them through the adjustment of power tariffs.
He said the project involves undergrounding a total of 645 km of 11 kV lines and 1,570 km of low voltage power lines in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu and the installation of a total 1,235 pad mounted substations in various parts of the three cities. Upon the completion of the underground cabling system, he said, electricity customers will enjoy improved quality and reliability of power supply owing to reduced transient faults and minimum system disturbances in the three cities.
Njoroge was speaking in Nairobi during a meeting involving various infrastructural development stakeholders which was convened by the company to come up with guidelines on how to work together in shared projects. (Xinhua)
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