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power before, or latest, in April 2021.” network to transport gas from production acquiring transformers and smart meters to
By and large, Higaniro noted that as sites to places of use including power plants be installed at boundaries of counties as it
regards the project’s overall progress, and various industries. seeks to identify regions that are costing it
engineering works are at 99.1 per cent, This grant will support SGN’s mission billions of money in stolen electricity.
procurement and logistics at 99.82 per cent to accelerate the development and the The utility firm wants to install metering
and construction on site at 92.83 per cent, monetization of natural gas in the country. units at boundaries of various counties to
with overall progress at 96.7 per cent. According to Papa Demba Diallo, Director track the amount of power it supplies to every
According to the current construction General of FONSIS, natural gas will be able county against the consumption it bills.
schedule, the power plant’s commercial to “lower the cost of electricity in order Kenya Power has advertised the tender
operating date, he said, is April 2021. to develop the industrial sector and make to get the metering units in its latest bid to
“Currently the power plant contractor has businesses more competitive.” address the perennial challenge of power
started testing individual equipment.” Senegal’s government believes the losses.
Initially, in May 2017, officials indicated construction of an efficient gas network is a “The objective of the project is to ensure
that construction was expected to be strategic project for the country as it supports that each region/county accounts for the
completed in 36 months, implying the project the presidential mandate to develop a local energy supplied in their area of jurisdiction,”
would have started supplying power by, at value chain in the oil and gas sector, with the says Kenya Power in the tender documents.
least, May 2020. long-term goal of benefitting the Senegalese “The project will involve establishing
The 80MW plant, is expected to increase people first and foremost. a meter mounted on a H-pole concrete
electricity connectivity rate among Rwandan According to USTDA Director of structure at the border point of two regions/
households, which currently stands at 52.8 per Operations, Todd Abrajano: “This agreement counties.”
cent. The country targets universal electricity is a commitment by USTDA to work with our The border metering units include current
connectivity by 2024. partners in Senegal, FONSIS, in particular, to transformers, voltage transformers and smart
develop and expand the country’s natural gas readers to monitor electricity usage.
options”. Tender documents show that Kenya Power
US delivers $1.2mn grant natural gas producer from 2023, when is targeting all the 47 counties grouped into
Senegal is set to become a major African
Western, Nairobi, Mount Kenya and Coast
for gas infrastructure in the giant Grand Tortue Ahmeyim gas regions with a total of 200 border points.
Kenya Power has around 1,200 feeders of
field, straddling the maritime border with
Senegal Mauritania, is set to come online. Estimates 11KV and 33KV spread in 10 regions and 47
say the field could contain up to 15 trillion
counties.
The United States Trade and Development cubic feet of gas.
Agency (USTDA) has signed an agreement to USTDA
grant $1.2 million Senegal’s Sovereign Fund
for Strategic Investments (FONSIS). The grant SUPPLY
is intended to finance studies related to the METERING
construction of a pipeline network by the Zimbabwe cuts power
Senegal Gas Network (SGN) company. Kenya Power bets on smart
SGN was jointly created in February 2020 supply during peak hours
by Senegal’s national oil company Petrosen, meters to keep tabs on theft
the national utility company Senelec and Zimbabwe reduced electricity supplies during
FONSIS. Its goal is to create Senegal’s gas Kenya Power has started the process of peak hours because of technical faults at two

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