Relief as more power expected from Mumias

Infusion of the 26 megawatts into the national grid by Mumias Sugar Company will start next week.

The additional power is expected to ease the current shortage that led to power rationing.

Last week, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company had given indications of the expected addition anytime.

“The company will review the power availability situation on a day-to-day basis and any relief provided by additional power from new thermal stations currently under commissioning, and from Mumias Sugar Cogeneration plant in the next few days will be passed on to customers,” read part of the statement.

A source at KPLC informed the Nation on Wednesday that this would be achieved by end of the coming week.

“We are expecting that this will be done next week just as it had been mentioned when we revised the rationing scheduled,” said our source on condition of anonymity since the details are yet to be finalised.

The sugar miller’s Sh6.5 billion power plant investment is expected to become an important revenue stream for the firm as the sugar market comes under pressure from liberalisation forces.

In March 2008 the Energy Regulatory Commission approved the long-term power buying deal between Mumias and KPLC.

The contract enhanced the price of Mumias co-generated power to $.06 cents (Sh4.68) per kilowatt-hour from $.04 cents (Sh3.12).

Its electricity comes from burning bagasse, the fibrous residue that remains when cane is crushed to make sugar.

Dwindling water levels in the country’s dams where electricity is produced are currently precarious.

The power distributor has also warned that electricity bills could go up because diesel will be used to generate emergency power.