Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), Kenya’s state power producer, has launched an international tender for consulting services for the implementation of the 8.6 MW Gogo hydropower redevelopment project. Prequalification bids are invited by 14 February 2024. The consulting services are to be financed by the Government of Germany through KfW Development Bank (KfW).
The project, which was approved by the Government of Kenya in October, will entail the raising of the installed capacity of the Gogo hydroelectric dam on the river Kuja in Migori County in the west of the country from 2 MW to 8.6 MW. The project is expected to enhance the reliability of power supply and boost socio-economic activities within the Nyanza and Western Kenya Regions. The existing plant, which was commissioned in 1958 with two 1 MW units, has been experiencing increasingly frequent breakdowns while sourcing for spare parts has been presenting challenges due to aging infrastructure. The project is one of a series planned by KenGen under its Least Cost Power Development Plan to meet electricity demand growth of about five per cent annually.
The scope of the project includes but is not limited to the following activities:
- Desilting of the Dam
- Diversion of the water flow to facilitate works on the dam and bottom of the ground outlet, spillway, intake, e-flow turbine.
- Refurbishing of existing spillway including installation of flashboards to increase level of reservoir.
- Installation of new spillway gates with flaps, ecological flow turbine as an option, bottom outlet and new intake structures and associated hydro electro-mechanical equipment.
- Construction of a new waterway as a tunnel of approximate 440m length and 3.6m diameter including the surge tank and associated facilities.
- Construction of a new Steel Penstock complete with bifurcation of approximate 85m length.
- Construction of a new Powerhouse equipped with turbines with an installed capacity of at least 8.6MW, generators, transformers, tailrace, controls and protection, and all associated auxiliary and ancillary equipment.
- Construction of a new 11/33 kV substation and 33kv dedicated power evacuation line of approximately 26km.
- All the associated civil and structural works related to this project.
- Decommissioning, closing, and securing the existing hydropower structures.
The contract will be awarded to an independent consultant firm/association with proven experience in the sector and the region. Furthermore, it is recommended to associate with a local consulting firm. The consultant or joint venture must have a minimum annual turnover of €1.9 million. Applicants must register to receive the Invitation for Expression of Interest (IEoI) with more detailed information on the programme’s components and measures, the type of services to be provided as well as the documents to be submitted for prequalification, including the envisaged evaluation methodology.
Full documentation available from the KenGen website.