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The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) is opening up avenues for local universities to contribute to research and development practices in the country’s electricity sector, crucial for birthing innovative ideas.
The company has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Strathmore University in what will see the two institutions collaborate in R&D around electricity transmission.
“This strategic partnership is aimed at bridging the gap between academia and the industry in areas of market status, skills gaps, research problems among other prevailing issues,” said Ketraco managing director Fernandes Barasa.
The agency now seeks to extend the collaboration drive to other local higher learning institutions.
Besides local partnerships, the government-owned transmission company has cemented ties with global players to exchange best industry practices, positioning Kenya as an early adopter of innovative electricity technologies.
Ketraco, for instance, has over the years been training young Kenyan engineering graduates in India under a pact with Power Grid Corporation.
It involves rigorous training on transmission line and substation design and costing, network analyses, power system planning and operational constraints of interconnection projects, as well as economic and financial analyses. About 20 fresh engineering graduates are picked in each round for the three-month training. Besides beefing up Kenya’s pool of skilled electricity transmission specialists, the programme has enabled the country stay ahead of the innovation curve with the rest of the world.
Ketraco was formed in 2008 as the agency in charge of planning, constructing and operating high voltage electricity transmission network (132kV and above) and associated substations in the country.