Investors at the Konza Technopolis have been reassured of reliable power supply for their operations, following the ongoing implementation of a 400 Kilovolt (kV), Kenya Electricity Transmission Company’s (KETRACO) Substation in the upcoming smart city.
Speaking shortly after meeting KETRACO Chairman, Capt. Joe Mutambu, Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) CEO, Eng. John Tanui, said work is ongoing to set up a Sub-station that will provide investors with reliable access to competitively priced electricity.
The Sub-station, which is expected to be completed by December 2022, will receive power from the 400 KV Konza-Isinya power line, whose construction is ongoing.
“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 Eng. Tanui.
The completion of the Sub-station will provide investors with reliable access to electricity, as it is set to 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.
Eng. Tanui assured investors that the Authority remains committed to working together with KETRACO and other stakeholders to realize the City’s dream and they are looking forward to further strengthen the partnerships in exploring ways of having an attractive power tariff for investors.
KETRACO Chairman Mutambu, lauded the progress of Konza Technopolis and assured investors 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.
While appreciating the support offered by the Ministry of Energy, Mutambu assured all investors that the Technopolis will not have any challenges in terms of power reliability, adding that they should comfortably take up space at Konza Technopolis.
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.
The 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 the 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.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
