By Jeremy Clarke
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's main power producer is increasing the size of a major dam to cope with the heavy El Nino rains and forecasts an immediate short-term drop in the cost of electricity, its managing director said on Wednesday.
A severe drought in 2009 hit east Africa's biggest economy, hurting food and electricity production and forcing the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) to close one of its dams and turn to diesel-run generators.
Water is now spilling over the edge of its Masinga dam, which will be raised by 1.5 metres so it is able to hold two billion litres of water, a 25 percent increase from the current capacity of 1.6 billion, Eddy Njoroge said in a statement.
The project will cost $15 million.
"The enhanced hydropower generation has already displaced most of the expensive thermal emergency power. This will benefit our customers in the short term who will get a relief on their power bills," said Njoroge.
"In all, the dams in the (Seven Forks) cascade have impounded over 1,700 million cubic metres of water since the onset of rains towards the end of last year."
The improved performance of hydro power stations countrywide has seen Kengen's dams boost production to 12 gigawatt hours (GWH) per day currently, up from 2.5 GWH in October last year.
About 65 percent of Kenya's generation capacity comes from hydropower, but this dropped to just 30 percent in 2009.
Reuters Africa
