POWERGRID, Africa50 Ink Landmark PPP Deal for Kenya’s Transmission Projects

Africa, Dec 19 : Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna PSU under the Ministry of Power, has partnered with Africa50 to sign a landmark Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement for developing key transmission infrastructure in Kenya. The project covers the 400 kV Lessos–Loosuk and 220 kV Kisumu–Kakamega–Musaga transmission systems, with a concession period of 30 years.

The signing ceremony was attended by POWERGRID officials, including CMD Dr. R. K. Tyagi, Director (Personnel) Dr. Yatindra Dwivedi, and COO (IB) Mr. Sanjay Kumar Gupta, alongside senior Kenyan government representatives such as Principal Secretary Alex Kamau Wachira, Principal Secretary Dr. Chris K. Kiptoo, Acting Managing Director Eng. Kipkemoi Kibias, and Director General Eng. Kefa Seda.

This project marks Africa’s first Independent Transmission Project (ITP) and represents POWERGRID’s maiden project-finance international transmission venture on the continent. The new transmission lines and associated substations aim to strengthen Kenya’s national grid, improve system reliability, and enable the evacuation of power from renewable-rich regions to major load centers.

Structured under a PPP model, the project underscores the growing confidence in private sector participation in Africa’s power transmission sector. Africa50, an infrastructure investment platform backed by African governments and the African Development Bank, brings regional expertise and financial structuring capabilities. POWERGRID contributes its technical, operational, and project management experience in large-scale transmission systems.

With operations spanning over 25 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe, POWERGRID has commissioned 287 substations, over 1,81,894 ckm of transmission lines, and 5,93,016 MVA of transformation capacity as of December 15, 2025. Leveraging advanced automation, digital tools, and technological innovations, POWERGRID has maintained an average transmission system availability of more than 99.84%, reflecting its reliability and global expertise in power infrastructure development.