Feasibility study and front end engineering and design study for the rupingazi hydro power project

The Rupingazi small hydropower plant project consists of a typical small hydro layout with a side intake, a delivery canal leading to a fore bay and a steel penstock leading to the power plant. The project is located at the Rupingazi river, a tributary of Thiba River in the Upper Tana basin, in Kenya.The rated capacity of the plant is 4 MW delivered by two (2) similar Pelton turbines of 2 MW each. The plant is utilizing flows up to 3.5 m³/s, over a net hydraulic head of about 130 m. The project involved the full detailed design of the plant, including hydrology of the site, geological and geotechnical issues, the hydraulic design of the intake, canal, fore bay and penstock as well as the power calculations and the specification of the electro-mechanical equipment to be installed.