Gitaru Hydroelectric Power Station | |
---|---|
Country | Kenya |
Location | Embu County/Machakos County |
Coordinates | 00°47′43″S37°45′09″E / 0.79528°S 37.75250°E |
Purpose | Power |
Status | Operational |
Construction began | 1975 |
Opening date | 1978 |
Owner(s) | Kenya Electricity Generating Company |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | reservoir |
Impounds | Tana River |
Height | 30 m (98 ft) |
Length | 580 m (1,900 ft) |
Spillway capacity | 4,500 m3/s (160,000 cu ft/s) |
Reservoir | |
Total capacity | 16,000,000 m3 (13,000 acre⋅ft) |
Normal elevation | 924 m (3,031 ft) |
Gitaru Hydroelectric Power Station | |
Coordinates | 00°47′43″S37°45′09″E / 0.79528°S 37.75250°E |
Operator(s) | Kenya Electricity Generating Company |
Commission date | 1999 (Unit 3) |
Type | Run-of-the-river |
Hydraulic head | 136 m (446 ft) |
Turbines | 2 x 72 MW, 1 x 81 MW Francis-type |
Installed capacity | 225 MW (302,000 hp) |
The Gitaru Hydroelectric Power Station, also known as the Gitaru Dam, is a rock and earth-filled embankment dam on the Tana River in Kenya. It straddles the border between Embu and Machakos Counties in the former Eastern Province. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation. It supports a 225 megawatt power station. [1]
The power station is located approximately 16.5 kilometres (10 mi), by road, east of the town of Mavuria in Embu County. [2] This is approximately 161 kilometres (100 mi), by road, northeast of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. [3] The geographical coordinates of Gitaru Power Station are:00°47'43.0"S, 37°45'09.0"E (Latitude:-0.795278; Longitude:37.752500). [4]
Construction of the dam began in 1975 and was completed in 1978. The third generating set, mobilizing the full potential of the power station was not commissioned until 1999. [5] The World Bank lent US$63 million towards the development of this power station. The station is operated by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company and is part of the Seven Forks Scheme. [6]
The 30 m (98 ft) tall dam holds a 16,000,000 m3 (13,000 acre⋅ft) reservoir. The relatively small reservoir relies on steady releases from the Masinga and Kamburu Dams upstream. The reservoir power station is located underground near the left abutment and contains two 72 megawatt and one 81 megawatt Francis turbine-generators. Water released from the station is returned to the Tana at the Kindaruma Reservoir via a 4.7 km (2.9 mi) long tailrace tunnel. The difference in elevation between the reservoir and power station affords a net hydraulic head of 136 m (446 ft). [7]
Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC abbreviated to KenGen, is a government enterprise in the Republic of Kenya charged with the production of electricity for the country. KenGen is the largest electric power producer in Kenya, generating over 60% of the electricity consumed in the country.
The Kamburu Hydroelectric Power Station, also Kamburu Dam is a rock-filled embankment dam on the Tana River in Kenya which straddles the border of Embu and Machakos Counties in Eastern Province. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports a 93 MW power station. Construction on the dam began in 1971 and it was completed in 1975, with the power station getting commissioned the same year. US$23 million of the US$47 million project cost was provided by the World Bank. The power station is operated by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company and is part of the Seven Forks Scheme.
The Kiambere Hydroelectric Power Station is an earth-filled embankment dam on the Tana River near Kiambere, Kenya. It straddles the border of Embu and Kitui Counties in the former Eastern Province. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports a 165 MW power station. Construction on the dam began in 1983 and it was completed in 1987. The power station was commissioned in 1988. Beginning in 2008 both turbine-generators were upgraded from 72 MW to 82.5 MW. They were commissioned in 2009. US$95 million in funding for the original project was provided by the World Bank. The power station is operated by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company and is part of the Seven Forks Scheme.
The Olkaria I Geothermal Power Station, also known as Olkaria I Geothermal Power Plant is a geothermal power station in Kenya, with an installed capacity of 268.3 megawatts (359,800 hp).
The Olkaria II Geothermal Power Station also known as Olkaria II Geothermal Power Plant is a geothermal power plant in Kenya, with installed electric generating capacity of 105 megawatts (141,000 hp)
Kiira Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power station in Uganda, with an installed capacity of 200 megawatts (270,000 hp).
The Rusumo Hydroelectric Power Station, also known as the Rusumo Power Station, is a hydropower plant under construction, with initial planned capacity installation of 80 megawatts (110,000 hp) when completed. The project will involve the construction of a dam, with run of river design. A more expensive 90 megawatts (120,000 hp) reservoir design was considered before being abandoned in favor of an 80 MW project with a smaller environmental impact and an estimated cost of US$300 million compared to US$400 million for the bigger project. The World Bank announced on 6 August 2013 that it had approved loans totaling US$340 million towards the US$468.60 million needed for the project. In November 2013, the African Development Bank approved a loan of US$113 million towards completion of the project.
The Kindaruma Hydroelectric Power Station, also Kindaruma Dam is an embankment dam with two gravity dam sections on the Tana River in Kenya. It straddles the border of Embu and Machakos counties in Kenya. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports a 72 megawatts (97,000 hp) power station. It is Kenya's first post-independence hydroelectric power plant. It was commissioned in 1968 as part of the Seven Forks Scheme. The power station is operated by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company.
Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station, also Masinga Dam, is an embankment dam on the Tana River, the longest river in Kenya and straddles the border of Embu and Machakos Counties in Eastern Province and is located about 106 km. (66 mi.), by road, northeast of Nairobi, Kenya's capital and largest city. Construction of the dam began in 1978, and was completed in 1981. It is owned by Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA). The dam is used for power production and is part of the Seven Forks Scheme.
The Tana Hydroelectric Power Station is a 20 MW (27,000 hp) hydroelectric power station on the Tana River in southern Kenya.
The Laúca Hydroelectric Power Station is a 2,070 MW (2,775,916 hp) hydroelectric power plant in Angola. It is the largest power station in the country.
Karura Hydroelectric Power Station, commonly referred to as Karura Power Station, also Karura Dam, is a planned 90 MW hydropower station in Kenya.
The Baynes Hydroelectric Power Station is a planned 600 megawatts (804,613 hp) hydroelectric power plant in northwest Namibia, at the border with Angola.
Bumbuna II Hydroelectric Power Station is a planned 143 megawatts (192,000 hp) hydroelectric power station in Sierra Leone. The power plant is under development by a consortium of renewable energy IPPs and investors, led by Joule Africa Limited. The energy generated here will be sold to Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), the electricity utility company of Sierra Leone, under a 25-year power purchase agreement.
Koukoutamba Hydroelectric Power Station is a planned 294 megawatts (394,000 hp) hydroelectric power station, across the Bafing River, a tributary of the Senegal River, in Guinea. The power station is under development by the Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS),. OMVS will sell the electricity to the four member electricity utility companies of the organization. Sinohydro, a hydropower engineering and construction company, owned by the Chinese state, was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract. The US$812 million project is funded by the Exim Bank of China.
The Ngonye Falls Power Station, is a planned hydroelectric power station across the Zambezi River in Zambia. The power station will have maximum generating capacity of 180 megawatts (240,000 hp) when completely developed. The energy will be sold to ZESCO under a long-term power purchase agreement. It is named after the nearby Ngonye Falls.
Memve'ele Hydroelectric Power Station is a 211 megawatt hydroelectric power station in Cameroon. Construction of this dam began in April 2012 and the dam produced its first 80 megawatts in April 2019. Full commercial operations are expected to begin once the 225 kiloVolt high voltage transmission line to Yaounde is completed.
The Gribo–Popoli Power Station, also Gribo Popoli Power Station, is a hydroelectric power station under construction across the Sassandra River, in Ivory Coast. This renewable energy power station is owned and is under development by the Government of Ivory Coast, through its wholly owned subsidiary, CI-Energies, the national electricity utility parastatal company.
The KenGen Floating Solar Power Station (KFSPS), is a planned 42.5 MW (57,000 hp) solar power plant in Kenya.