Geoffrey Muli, the acting Managing Director of Kenya Power, said the live line laboratory was set up at a cost of 340 million shillings (2.91 million U.S. dollars) under the Kenya Electricity Modernization Project (KEMP).
“Kenya is the first country in East and Central Africa to deploy the use of live-line technology.
“ It will provide the maintenance of the high and medium voltage networks, without switching off customers,” Muli said.
He said that the laboratory will facilitate the delivery of reliable power to the east African nation.
“The live line technology will contribute significantly to a reduction in unserved energy and improved customer satisfaction, especially in industrial areas.
“The laboratory will enable Kenya Power to test and certify live line work tools and equipment and realise savings in terms of payment for these services which were previously outsourced.
“It will also boost efficiency within the live line maintenance program as these services are now within our control,” he added.
The company intends to expand the scope of the laboratory in the medium term to include insulation verification tests and certifications for other network equipment.
Plans are also underway to get the laboratory accredited by the Kenya Accreditation Services (KENAS) to enable it to test rubber insulating equipment for other organisations within the country and the region on a commercial basis.
