The drought that has struck major parts of Kenya (& East Africa) in the past year will have its full effects felt in the next months if rain fails again.
Masinga Dam (40 MW Capacity) is in the danger of being shut down if water levels fall below the 1036 meter mark. It is already operating at 18 MW :- 45% of Capacity.
Some Education
1MW can power about 800 *American* homes. If you use my arbitrary conversion rate of 1 American Home Power Consumption = 8 African Homes Power Consumption, then we are looking at an equivalent of about 250K Kenyan homes. (These figures are guesstimates that rely on practical residential power usage and might in fact be conservative).
So what happens?
The water will thus have to be passed over to Kindaruma Dam, which is next in line among the 7 Folks dam that supply much of Kenya's electricity. The water would be used to maximize capacity.
Water, Water, Water...
It is of importance to note that it is actually water that is the "fuel" here and since May 2007, water levels have been low such that the dams have not been able to operate at full capacity or will not be able to operate at all.
I referenced an article from the Daily Nation. Access it here
About Me
- Brian Owino Oduor
- I hold the philosophy that the underdevelopment of the third world creates a blank canvas on which we can redraw some of the flaws that are plaguing the blueprint of the Western world. I am keen on the development of sustainable energy sources in Africa. Energy, in my opinion, is at the crux of developing other facets of African economies that have been for far too long, unfairly stagnant. I also seek to get involved in smarter ways of financing Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in African nations while shaping policy and educating the masses. Twitter: BrianOduor
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