India’s Power Grid and Africa50 to develop Kenya’s first PPP transmission project

India’s Power Grid Coporation, a Maharatna public sector company, has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with Africa50, pan-African infrastructure investment platform, to develop a public-private partnership (PPP) transmission project in Kenya

India’s Power Grid Coporation, a Maharatna public sector company, has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with Africa50, pan-African infrastructure investment platform, to develop a public-private partnership (PPP) transmission project in Kenya.

The project will involve the development, financing, construction and operation of the 400kV Lessos-Loosuk and 220kV Kisumu-Musaga transmission lines. The project will be the first independent power transmission (IPT) in Kenya and will be the first PPP transmission line project in the African continent.

The project will play an important part in boosting the reliability of electricity transmission in Western Kenya and it is hoped will increase private sector investment in the expansion of transmission networks across Kenya and the wider African region.

 “Power Grid is pleased to partner with Africa50 in undertaking development of first PPP mode transmission project in Kenya. Transmission plays an important role in bringing efficiency in the entire electricity supply chain. A robust transmission network not only imparts reliability and security to the electricity grid but also allows non-discriminatory access to buyers and sellers which spurs the competition that results into competitive electricity prices to ultimate consumer,” said Shri K. Sreekant, chairman and managing director of Power Grid, following the signing of the JDA.