The-Accountant-Jul-Aug-2016

Kenya Power invests
Shs700 million in Live Line
Maintenance Technology
Kenya Power has deployed Live-
Line Maintenance technology of
its network in an effort to minimize
power interruption, enhance supply
and generate more sales. The technology
will enable the energy utility to carry out
maintenance of its electricity distribution
network without switching it off.
“Scheduled power interruptions account for
about 50% of power outages. The new initiative
we are deploying will minimize and eventually
eliminate the need to switch off our customers
to undertake repair works, routine maintenance,
system reinforcement and connection of new
customers,” said Kenya Power’s Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ben
Chumo at the launch of the technology in early
June.
Kenya Power is the second utility company
in Sub- Saharan Africa after Eskom of
South Africa to deploy live line maintenance
technology. A pilot phase for the project is
being carried out in Nairobi before subsequent
rollout in other regions.
The utility has invested Shs720 million in
the first phase of the project while the World
Bank has injected an additional Shs202
million towards implementation of the second
phase. The first phase involves training of 72
technicians to operate on distribution lines. The
technicians will mainly operate on 11kV, 33kV
and 66kV distribution lines.
“Live line technology will cut on the time it
takes to uproot and replace rotten poles, repair
broken jumpers, undertake routine maintenance
work and connect new customers without
interrupting power supply to current users,” said
Dr Chumo.
The Live Line Maintenance project is
expected to boost efficiency in power supply,
and increase customer’s satisfaction. “We are
focused on bringing down energy losses in our
network from the current 17% to less than 10%.
Live Line Maintenance is key to achieving
this because every time we switch off a line
for maintenance we lose on efficiency,” Kenya
Power Chairman Hon. Kenneth Marende said.
“The technology is also part of Kenya
Power’s network update program we are
implementing across the company at a cost of
Kshs10 billion which involves replacement of
wooden poles with concrete poles, enhancement
of conductor capacity to carry more load among
other things,” Hon Marende added.
“Live Line Maintenance will see our 4.7
million customers enjoy better and reliable
supply of power. It will ride on our heavy
investment in infrastructure where we have
invested Shs119 billion in 252 capital projects.
The projects include construction of over
100 substations, construction of additional
redundancy distribution lines to ensure our
customers have alternative power sources such
that when one supply line is down, they get
supplied from another line. So far we have
constructed 200 alternative lines for our large
customers,” Hon Marende said.
Kenya Power Technicians using Live
Line Maintenance Technology