Nov 15, 2006 (NAIROBI) — Work on the proposed one billion dollars high-voltage power transmission line from Ethiopia to Kenya is set to commence next month.

Kenya Electricity Generating company (KenGen) has disclosed that the implementation schedule for the project has already been set up, with its commissioning now earmarked for October 2014.

Some of the proposed financiers of the project are African Development Bank, Arab Bank, European Investment Bank, East African Development Bank and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad).

KenGen, Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO), Kenya Power and Lighting and the Ministry of Energy officials met in Addis Ababa on 19-21 September for a follow-up meeting on an earlier memorandum of understanding.

Speaking during the MOU signing ceremony in Nairobi mid this year, acting Energy Minister Mr Henry Obwocha said that the interconnection of national grids of the two countries would result in reduction of power prices.

KenGen said in its current news bulletin that the project would commence next month. Staff from the two utilities would undergo an exchange programme in hydropower development, operations, and geothermal and environmental management.

In the future, EEPCO intends to build a hydroelectric power generation station that will supply 600mw with a capacity of 400kv double circuit electric power to be transmitted to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Ethiopia intends to export 200mw of power to Sudan from the already existent double circuit power line in the Northern part of the country.

But last September talks on the Ethiopia Sudan Power System Interconnection Project between the Ethiopian EEPCO and the Sudanese National Electricity Corporation ended without resolution after four days meetings.

(Standard/ST)