Geothermal power to power train connection between Mombasa and Nairobi, Kenya
Trains of the SGR railway in Kenya (source: KRC)
Alexander Richter
6 Feb 2018
The railway connection between the port city of Mombasa and the capital of Kenya, Nairobi is going to be electrified with power to come from geothermal power plants at Olkaria, Kenya.
The Electricity Transmission company of Kenya Ketraco has signed a contract over $239million with a Chinese company for the electrification of the railway connection between the port city of Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya.
The contract is to electrify the railway connection with power from a nearby transmission line connecting Mombasa and Nairobi which started transmission in August 2017.
In the statement by Ketraco, it is reported that the power for the Standard Gauge Railway connection, will be provided by geothermal power plants. With a further connection planned to then connect Nairobi with Naivasha, where most of the geothermal plants of Kenya are located, this could provide a great economic development incentive. At Naivasha, KenGen and partners are planning an industrial zone that could utilise geothermal power of the nearby geothermal plants, but also geothermal direct use opportunities.
It is expected that the electrification will take up to 28 months, or about 2.5 years.
Source: International Railway Journal
