The Kindaruma Hydroelectric Power Station, also Kindaruma Dam is an

embankment dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and ...

with two

gravity dam A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. ...

sections on the Tana River in Kenya. It straddles the border of

Embu Embu may refer to: Places ; in Brazil * Embu das Artes * Embu-Guaçu ; in Kenya * Embu, Kenya * Embu County Other * Embu people of Kenya *Embu language Embu, also known as Kîembu, is a Bantu language of Kenya. It is spoken by the Embu peopl ...

and

Machakos Machakos, also called Masaku is a town in Kenya, southeast of Nairobi. It is the capital of the Machakos County, Kenya. Its population is rapidly growing and was 150,041 as of 2009 and Machakos County had a population of 1,421,932 as of 2019 ...

counties in Kenya. The primary purpose of the dam is

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

power generation and it supports a power station. It is Kenya's first post-independence hydroelectric power plant. It was commissioned in 1968 as part of the Seven Forks Scheme. The power station is operated by

Kenya Electricity Generating Company Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC abbreviated to KenGen, is a government enterprise in the Republic of Kenya charged with the production of electricity for the country. KenGen is the largest electric power producer in Kenya, generating ...

. Between 2007 and 2013 the power station underwent a rehabilitation and upgrade which increased its installed capacity from 40 MW to 72 MW. In June 2012 a third Kaplan turbine-generator, rated at 24 MW, was commissioned. In January and June 2013, the original two 20 MW Kaplan turbine-generators were upgraded to 24 MW each.

References

{{Tana River (Kenya) dams Energy infrastructure completed in 1968 Hydroelectric power stations in Kenya Dams on the Tana River (Kenya) Dams in Kenya Dams completed in 1968 Machakos County Embu County Embankment dams Gravity dams

See also

References