Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of Micro-Hydropower Potential of River Rutui as part of Rural Electrification in Kenya

Hydropower plays a crucial role towards the transition to renewable and sustainable energy. In Kenya, this transition is spearheaded by the adoption of hydro energy for electricity generation purposes. This study proposes the use of micro hydro plants toward the rural electrification of river Rutui region. In particular, it proposes performing the feasibility study for the establishment of a micro hydro power plant on the river Rutui, as part of the rural electrification of Kenya. We describe the overall layout of the proposed plant including technical and economic aspects, that include use the flow duration curve based on the rainfall and flow data, turbine type selection, economic analysis detailing the capital cost, engineering cost, and project maintenance cost, annual energy output and revenue estimations using the maximum potential power and average energy yield of the analyzed system (kWh/year). We also carry out some sensitivity analysis. The results show the viability/promise of hydropower generation in the region.