Kenya’s standard gauge railway trains run on diesel. Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania are plan to go electric. PHOTO | NMG
Tanzania is banking on the development of its vast gas find into
electricity to increase its capacity and provide a dedicated electric
line for the SGR network, once completed.
Currently, the country’s available power generation capacity stands at about 1,500MW, against a demand of 1,352 MW.
“Jointly
with Ethiopia, Tanzania re-opened the bids in August last year for the
Rufiji hydropower project at the Stiglers Gorge which we will inject
more than 2200MW to the national grid once completed over the next two
years. We will soon announce the tendering. We are also in the last
stages of the Kinyerezi plant from our natural gas, which should now
inject 240MW next month and reach a peak of 3,000MW by 2022. We expect
these power projects to be used to power the railway line,” a senior
government official told The EastAfrican in an earlier interview.
The
region has turned to electric powered rails in a bid to increase
efficiency, but questions abound on how these lines will be powered
given the energy deficits individual countries face.
Kenya
dropped plans for electrification of the SGR line between Mombasa and
Nairobi, citing its high costs and irregular power supply.
Kenya
Railways managing director Atanas Maina said that the preliminary
research had shown inadequate demand for electric trains in Kenya
coupled by higher cost and intermittent electric supply.
“Electrifying this line also depends on our ability as a country
to finance that kind of infrastructure. It was something that we would
love to have, however, the country does not have a dependable source of
electricity,” said Mr Maina.
While the frequency and
severity of outages in Kenya have fallen over the years, the country
still encounters constant supply interruptions. Nairobi was hoping to
upgrade the SGR line once the power supply became dependable. Kenya has a
generation capacity of 2,250MW against a demand of 1,640MW.
Electrical engines
Now
within the region, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania will have their trains
with an electric element, while Kenya will run on diesel engines.
Ethiopia
has the China Class 2, with a mixture of diesel and electrical engines.
Its line is currently serviced by a 27.5kV overhead line
electrification.
Nairobi was hoping to upgrade the SGR
line once the power supply became dependable. The country’s diesel
powered SGR cargo trains have been experiencing cargo constraint numbers
that saw it on Friday, through the Kenya Ports Authority, reduce the
tariffs to $80 for a 20ft container from $103 for the handling of local
containers, and $60 for a similar size for transit containers, from 85.
For
the 40ft containers, the handling fees for the local cargo will be $120
down from $157, while the transit cargo handling fees for this size of
container will now attract $90 from $125.
Uganda
expects its power generation to reach 1500MW in 2019, after the two dams
injects an additional 783MW (Karuma and Isimba hydropower projects at
600MW and 183MW respectively).
The country’s current
peak power system demand stands at 500 MW against an installed
generation capacity of 851.5MW, and a total power generation stands of
535MW.
Uganda SGR Project co-ordinator Kasingye
Kyamugamba in an earlier interview said that they had chosen to have an
electric element incorporated into the project.
“We
have been assured of adequate power from the ongoing energy projects at
Karuma and Isimba. This decision was also based on the costing factor
given that after completion, the long term costs of operation and
maintenance will be cheaper than diesel,” said Mr Kyamugamba.
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