The Turkwel Hydroelectric Power Station, also Turkwel Dam, is an
arch dam
An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengtheni ...
on the
Turkwel River
The Turkwel River (sometimes spelled Turkwell River) is a river flowing from Mount Elgon on the border of Kenya and Uganda to Lake Turkana. The river is called the Suam River from its source to the border at Turkana County of Kenya. The name Turk ...
about north of
Lorokon in
West Pokot County
West Pokot County is a county in Kenya. Its capital and largest town is Kapenguria, its area is approximately 9,169.4 square kilometers and it measures 132 kilometers from north to south.
West Pokot County is bordered to the north by Turkana ...
,
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
. The dam serves several purposes, including
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
power production,
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
, tourism and
fisheries
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farm ...
. It was constructed between 1986 and 1991. It supports the third largest hydroelectric power plant in the country, having an installed electric capacity of .
The dam, Kenya's tallest, has a height of , a crest length of 150 m, a dam volume of and retains a water volume of . The power station is
located underground, downstream, and contains two 56 MW
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency.
The pro ...
generators. The difference in elevation between the reservoir and power station affords a net
hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a measurement related to liquid pressure (normalized by specific weight) and the liquid elevation above a vertical datum., 410 pages. See pp. 43–44., 650 pages. See p. 22, eq.3.2a.
It is usually meas ...
of .
See also
*
List of power stations in Kenya
The following page lists power stations in Kenya.
Geothermal
Hydroelectric
Fossil fuels: oil, coal, and gas
Wind
Solar
See also
*Energy in Kenya
* List of largest power stations in the world
* List of power stations in Africa ...
*
List of hydropower stations in Africa
This is a list of articles listing power stations around the world by countries or regions. A power station (also referred to as a generating station, power plant, powerhouse or generating plant) is an industrial place for the generation of electr ...
References
External links
*{{Structurae , id = 20009251 , title = Turkwel Dam , accessdate =
Energy infrastructure completed in 1991
Hydroelectric power stations in Kenya
West Pokot County
Arch dams
Dams completed in 1991
Underground power stations
1991 establishments in Kenya
Dams in Kenya