NAIROBI, Kenya, April 18 – Eaton, an intelligent power management company, has successfully completed the Gitugu hydropower plant in Muranga County.
Eaton, which provided hydropower specialists Hydrobox and all components needed for the project, including three-phase miniature circuit breakers and large air circuit breakers, affirmed that the project was completed on schedule despite supply chain challenges.
Rik Vereecken, chief technology officer at Hydrobox Smart Grids, which specializes in supplying containerized compact power plants for installation in remote locations, termed the success of the project a lifesaver for residents.
“For this project they needed to build a hybrid power plant with 55 km grid lines to a remote site in Gitugu. When there were issues with the supply chain – first due to the global pandemic, and delays caused when a container ship blocked the Suez Canal in 2021 Eaton looked at how they could get products to us using alternative methods,” said Vereecken, chief technology officer, Hydrobox.
The completion of the plant now makes it possible for the power plant to hit its last year (2023) target of supplying the hydropower mini-grid project with more than 2 gigawatts of power.
The hybrid power plant fitted with 55 km of grid lines was urgently needed to boost electricity supplies to towns and villages in the county.
