GE Vernova, India’s L&T to build electricity control centers for Kenya’s national grid

U.S. power equipment maker GE Vernova and India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have secured a major contract to construct a National System Control Centre (NSCC) for the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO).

The centre, billed as the “central brain” for Kenya's national electricity grid, is expected to enable advanced monitoring and control of power flow across the country.

The GE Vernova-L&T consortium will build a main control centre in Embakasi and an emergency control centre in Suswa.

GE Vernova said the project, booked in the first quarter of this year, is expected to be complete in three years.

“This is a game-changer for Kenya’s electricity transmission capabilities,” said KETRACO CEO John Mativo. “The NSCC will ensure secure, reliable, and efficient power transmission as demand continues to grow.”

GE Vernova, through its French entity Grid Solutions SAS, will lead the project’s technology implementation.

The firm will provide software along with substation automation and telecommunications systems. L&T will oversee civil construction, equipment installation, and testing.

The project is fully financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the French Treasury, and the European Union.

“This project highlights the strength of Franco-Kenyan cooperation on energy transition and climate,” said French Ambassador to Kenya, Arnaud Suquet. “A modern control centre will make Kenya’s grid more resilient and support renewable energy integration.”

Kenya aims for universal electricity access by 2030 and has been investing in grid expansion and smart technologies to meet growing demand and address persistent power blackouts in the last two years.

Last November, President William Ruto’s government cancelled a 30-year, Ksh.95.7 billion public-private partnership deal that an Adani Group firm signed with KETRACO to construct power transmission lines after the Indian conglomerate’s founder was indicted in the U.S.

KETRACO and Adani Energy Solutions signed the deal in October to build and operate power infrastructure, including transmission lines.

But the High Court suspended the power deal weeks before Ruto announced its cancellation following a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya challenging its legality.