Gitaru Hydroelectric Power Station | |
---|---|
Country | Kenya |
Location | Embu County/Machakos County |
Coordinates | 00°47′43″S 37°45′09″E / 0.79528°S 37.75250°E |
Purpose | Power |
Status | Operational |
Construction began | 1975 |
Opening date | 1978 |
Owner(s) | Kenya Electricity Generating Company |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | reservoir |
Impounds | Tana River |
Height | 30 m (98 ft) |
Length | 580 m (1,900 ft) |
Spillway capacity | 4,500 m3/s (160,000 cu ft/s) |
Reservoir | |
Total capacity | 16,000,000 m3 (13,000 acre⋅ft) |
Normal elevation | 924 m (3,031 ft) |
Gitaru Hydroelectric Power Station | |
Coordinates | 00°47′43″S 37°45′09″E / 0.79528°S 37.75250°E |
Operator(s) | Kenya Electricity Generating Company |
Commission date | 1999 (Unit 3) |
Type | Run-of-the-river |
Hydraulic head | 136 m (446 ft) |
Turbines | 2 x 72 MW, 1 x 81 MW Francis-type |
Installed capacity | 225 MW (302,000 hp) |
The Gitaru Hydroelectric Power Station, also known as the Gitaru Dam, is a rock and earth-filled embankment dam on the Tana River in Kenya. It straddles the border between Embu and Machakos Counties in the former Eastern Province. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation. It supports a 225 megawatt power station.[1]