69. Early Riser

The addition of 80 MW of generating capacity to Kenya's Gitaru hydro power plant in under two years has helped to meet the country's growing demands for electricity. The Gitaru hydro power station is located on the Tana river, about 160 km north-east of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The Gitaru reservoir is relatively small, with long-term storage being provided by the upstream Kamburu and Masinga reservoirs. Owned and operated by Kenya Electricity Generation Company Ltd. (KenGen), the plant with its two Voith Siemens Hydro 72.5 MW vertical Francis units, began commercial operation in 1978. In this initial phase, the civil design and construction had already made provisions for a third unit. Nevertheless, it was not until the second half of the 1990s, when Kenya's electricity demand began to exceed supply, that the decision to install addition generating capacity was taken. The Gitaru machines are among the largest hydro generating units in the Kenyan grid and, while the third machine would provide additional energy during the rainy season, it would give year-round peaking power and increase KenGen's operational flexibility. Once the decision had been made, KenGen acted quickly to secure this addition capacity.