Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station
| Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station | |
|---|---|
  Location of Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station in Kenya | |
| Official name | Masinga Power Station |
| Country | Kenya |
| Location | Embu County/Machakos County,Eastern Province |
| Coordinates | 00°53′21″S37°35′40″E/ 0.88917°S 37.59444°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1978 |
| Opening date | 1981 |
| Owner(s) | Tana and Athi River Development Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Tana River |
| Height | 60 m (200 ft) |
| Length | 2,200 m (7,200 ft) |
| Dam volume | 4,950,000 m3(175,000,000 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Over the dam |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 1,560,000,000 m3(1,260,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface area | 120 km2(46 sq mi) |
| Operator(s) | Kenya Electricity Generating Company |
| Commission date | 1981 |
| Hydraulic head | 49 m (161 ft) (max) |
| Turbines | 2 x 20 MWKaplan-type |
| Installed capacity | 40 megawatts (54,000 hp) |
| Annual generation | 129 - 232 GWh |
Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station,alsoMasinga Dam,is anembankment damon theTana River,the longestriverinKenyaand straddles the border ofEmbuandMachakos CountiesinEastern Provinceand is located about 106 km. (66 mi.), by road, northeast ofNairobi,Kenya's capital and largest city.[1]Construction of the dam began in 1978,[2]and was completed in 1981.[3]It is owned byTana and Athi Rivers Development Authority(TARDA).[4]The dam is used for power production and is part of theSeven Forks Scheme.[3]
Dam[edit]
Masinga Dam is a 60 m tall and 2,200 m long embankment dam[3]with a volume of 4,950,000 m³. The dam contains aspillwayand a bottom outlet.[2]
Reservoir[edit]
At full reservoir level (maximum flood level of 1,056.5 m)[4]the reservoir of the dam has a surface area of 120 km² and its total capacity is 1,56 billion m³.[5]Minimum operating level is normally 1,037 m. On June 26, KenGen shut down the power plant because the operating level had fallen to 1,035.5 m. At the time of the closure the plant had been producing 14MW.[6]
Because of its large volume, the reservoir is crucial in regulating the flow of water for the other 4hydroelectricpower plants downstream.[7]
Power plant[edit]
Therun-of-the-riverhydroelectricpower plant went operational in 1981. It is owned and operated byKenya Electricity Generating Company(KenGen).[4]The plant has anameplate capacityof 40MW.Its average annual generation is between 128 (in 2008) and 232 (in 2007)GWh,[3]depending on the water flow of the Tana River.
The power plant contains 2Kaplan turbine-generators with 20 MW each. The turbines were provided byEscher Wyss,the generators byABB.The maximumhydraulic headis 49 m, maximum flow per turbine is 45.9 (45)[2]m³/s.[3]
History[edit]
Capital cost of the dam was US$172 million.[citation needed]
Feasibility studies were made in the 1970s and they confirmed the viability of a cascade of hydroelectric power plants along theTana River:Masinga, Kamburu, Gitaru, Kindaruma, Kiambere, Karura, Mutonga, Low Grand Falls, Usheni, Adamsons Falls, and Kora. Only the first five of them have been built so far.[7]
Plans to raise the dam by 1.5 m in order to increase the volume of the reservoir up to 2 billion m³ were finally cancelled. The cost would have been US$15 million.[4]
In February 2018, KenGen resurrected plans to raise the Masinga Dam wall by 2 metres (6.6 ft), and install pumping equipment to recycle the downstream water discharge back to the dam for steady electricity output though the dry seasons. TheFrench Development Agency(AFD) agreed to lend the KSh21 million (€169,000) required to conduct a fresh feasibility and environment impact assessment. AFD selectedEDF Group,aFrenchcompany to carry out the study.[8]
Heavy rains beginning in March 2018 led to major flooding throughout the Tana River area. On 17 May 2018, it was announced that the Masinga dam had reached capacity and had begun to overflow one week after the deadlyfailure of a smaller embankment daminSolai.While safeguards in place prevented the dam from failing, other dams downstream had already reached capacity and authorities advised the evacuation of the towns ofGarissa,Garsen,Hola,andBura.[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Globefeed.com (19 February 2018)."Distance between Nairobi Central, Nairobi, Kenya and Masinga Dam, Kenya".Globefeed.com.Retrieved19 February2018.
- ^abc"Masinga Dam".Salini Impregilo.Retrieved2015-02-15.
- ^abcde"Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station Kenya".Global Energy Observatory.Retrieved2015-02-19.
- ^abcdVictor Juma (2013-02-26)."KenGen's bid to raise Masinga dam height suspended".Business Daily.Retrieved2015-02-15.
- ^"Tana and Athi rivers Development Authority".
- ^Rob Jillo (2009-06-30)."KenGen closes Masinga Dam".Business&Tech.Retrieved2015-02-15.
- ^ab"MASINGA POWER STATION".Kenya Electricity Generating Company.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-09.Retrieved2015-02-19.
- ^Otuki, Neville (19 February 2018)."KenGen signs fresh deal to upgrade Masinga dam wall".Business Daily Africa.Nairobi.Retrieved19 February2018.
- ^Okuoro, Sara (17 May 2018)."Masinga Dam overflows".The Standard.Retrieved18 May2018.