Nabilah Safira
TechInAfrica – Kenya Power is in the plan of deploying a novel digital system, which is dubbed as the Energy Balance Module, to further enhance the reduction speed of power system loss measures of its electricity distribution network countrywide. The digital system is a software that allows the detection of areas with a high level of energy losses within the power supply network and report. The firm has developed a strategic medium-term loss reduction initiative, geared at decreasing technical and commercial losses in electricity transmission, from 21 percent to less than 15 percent, which on track with the global operating benchmarks.
Thagichu Kiiru, Kenya Power’s general manager for Business Strategy spoke at the Future Energy East Africa Conference and Expo in Nairobi about the core function of the robust software, which identifies and segregates the losses occurring in the system. The innovation appears at the time the sole power distributor in Kenya is facing pressure from the public regarding the regular breakdown of its systems with the prepaid token system crash on the weekend. In April, the utility firm shut down the system to facilitate upgrade for a more seamless and faster service.
According to Kiiru, technical losses result from power lines, older equipment or obsolete technology, whereas commercial losses stem from unauthorized energy usage, fraud, and operational challenges. ‘’Other initiatives include the deployment of smart metering infrastructure, load analysis to identify technical losses across the network, installation of low-loss transformers and reactive power compensation,” Kiiru said. He also mentioned the firm’s initiatives are implemented to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness in the distribution of electricity. Other objectives of the initiative are to catalyze investment in the clean energy generation, transmission, and distribution, while also to other infrastructure-related sectors in the country.
Source: Biztechafrica.com
