COMPLETION OF NEW POWER PLANT IN MURANGA COUNTY BOOSTS ELECTRICITY SUPPLY EFFORTS.
BY NJOKI KARANJA.
Nairobi, Kenya - In a significant stride towards enhancing electricity accessibility in Muranga County, Kenya, a new power plant has been successfully completed, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Eaton, a leading intelligent power management company, and its partners.
Despite facing challenges in the supply chain, the power plant project, crucial for augmenting electricity provisions to towns and villages in the region, remained on schedule, showcasing remarkable resilience and dedication.
Eaton's East Africa team, in collaboration with Switchgear Ltd., a key partner enrolled in Eaton's Panel Builder Program, provided indispensable support to hydropower specialists Hydrobox throughout the project. This support ranged from consultancy advice to supplying all necessary components, including three-phase miniature circuit breakers and large air circuit breakers.
Hydrobox, renowned for its expertise in supplying containerized compact power plants for remote installations, embarked on constructing a hybrid power plant with a 55 km grid line extension to a remote site in Gitugu, Kenya. Despite facing challenges exacerbated by global events such as the pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage in 2021, which disrupted supply chains worldwide, Eaton's proactive approach ensured a continuous flow of essential components to Hydrobox.
Rik Vereecken, Chief Technology Officer at Hydrobox/Yetu Smart Grids, acknowledged Eaton's unwavering support during challenging times, emphasizing their commitment to finding alternative solutions to supply chain disruptions. This included delivering products directly from manufacturing plants to the end customer when necessary.
Deon Ferreira, Country Sales Manager for Southern & East Africa at Eaton, highlighted the comprehensive support provided to Hydrobox, ranging from a wide array of components to engineering assistance for machinery assembly. This collaborative effort ensured the seamless progress of the power plant construction project.
Rik Vereecken praised Eaton not just as a supplier but as an ecosystem builder, ensuring a holistic service experience for customers through a robust supplier network.
The successful completion of the power plant project underscores Eaton's capability to deliver essential products and support, ultimately contributing to Hydrobox's timely delivery of the Gitugu power plant. This achievement positions the plant on track to fulfill its 2023 target of supplying over 2 Gigawatts of power to the hydropower mini-grid project, significantly bolstering electricity provisions in the region.
