Kenya Power expects to significantly cut down on outages in Nairobi on completion of three substations at a cost of Sh18.47 billion ($180.5 million), managing director Ben Chumo has said.

The stations, he said, will provide alternative sources in case of a black-out in Nairobi which consumes more than a half of country’s supply of electricity and generates about 70 per cent5 of the Kenya Power’s earnings.

“Provision of reliable and quality electricity supply to our customers in these areas is paramount to secure and grow our business,” Chumo said.

The near-monopoly power distributor said the substations will be gas-insulated, making them cost-effective due to low maintenance costs and their compact design requiring less space compared to conventional substations.

In the year to June 30, 2016, Kenya Power completed construction of 36 additional substations across the country in line with its five-year Power Distribution Masterplan that runs up to 2018.