Masinga Dam
| Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station | |
|---|---|
 Location of Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station in Kenya
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| Official name | Masinga Power Station |
| Country | Kenya |
| Location | Embu County/Machakos County, Eastern Province |
| Coordinates | 00°53′21″S 37°35′40″E / 0.88917°S 37.59444°ECoordinates: 00°53′21″S 37°35′40″E / 0.88917°S 37.59444°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1978 |
| Opening date | 1981 |
| Owner(s) | Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Tana River |
| Height | 60 m (200 ft) |
| Length | 2,200 m (7,200 ft) |
| Dam volume | 4,950,000 m3 (175,000,000 cu ft) |
| Spillway type | Over the dam |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 1,560,000,000 m3 (1,260,000 acre·ft) |
| Surface area | 120 km2 (46 sq mi) |
| Power station | |
| Operator(s) | Kenya Electricity Generating Company |
| Commission date | 1981 |
| Hydraulic head | 49 m (161 ft) (max) |
| Turbines | 2 x 20 MW Kaplan-type |
| Installed capacity | 40 MW |
| Annual generation | 129 - 232 GWh |
Masinga Hydroelectric Power Station, also Masinga Dam, is an embankment dam on the Tana River, the longest river in Kenya. It straddles the border of Embu and Machakos Counties in Eastern Province and is located about 100 km northeast of Nairobi.
Construction of the dam began in 1978. The dam was completed in 1981. It is owned by Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA). The dam is used for power production and is part of the Seven Forks Scheme.
Masinga Dam is a 60 m tall and 2,200 m long embankment dam. The volume of the dam is 4,950,000 m³. The dam contains a spillway and a bottom outlet.
At full reservoir level (maximum flood level of 1,056.5 m) the reservoir of the dam has a surface area of 120 km² and its total capacity is 1,56 billion m³. Minimum operating level is normally 1,037 m. On June 26, KenGen shut down the power plant because the operating level had fallen to 1,035.5 m. At the time of the closure the plant had been producing 14 MW.
Because of its large volume, the reservoir is crucial in regulating the flow of water for the other 4 hydroelectric power plants downstream.
The run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plant went operational in 1981. It is owned by TARDA, but operated by Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). The plant has a nameplate capacity of 40 MW. Its average annual generation is between 128 (in 2008) and 232 (in 2007) GWh, depending on the water flow of the Tana River.
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