By Anne Sunkuyia
The Africa Network of Centres of Excellence in Electricity (ANCEE) awarded KenGen’s Geothermal Training Centre, a member of the ANCEE COE network, the contract to facilitate online trainings for trainees from Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited (EGENCO), Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) and Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO). Awaiting the confirmation of TANESCO and ESCOM, a contract to facilitate training for staff from EGENCO was signed on 24th February 2021 and the training held from 1st March – 5th March 2021.
ANCEE is a continental initiative led by Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) to improve the performance of the electricity sector and increase regional trade through the strengthening of technical and managerial capacities in various fields, as well as the governance of the sector. The Network is supported by donations from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the French Development Agency (AFD).
The ANCEE network has Ten (10) Centers of Excellence located in various African Countries amongst them Morocco, South Africa, Algeria, Zambia. Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia and Ghana. Differentiated by their fields of expertise, cultures, languages and levels of sub-regional integration, the ten (10) Training Centers were specifically selected to become icons of “Excellence” in training as regards the Electricity Sector.
The training was held from 1st – 5th March, 2021. It was attended by nine (9) participants from EGENCO. The training was divided into various topics as below;
- Geothermal Power Generation
- Diesel Engine Power plant (Thermal) Course
- Coal Fired Generation Plants
The training methodology included conduction of online lectures via the Microsoft Teams platform, presentations and virtual simulations, use of video demonstrations, group discussions, case studies and assessments. Facilitators gave detailed presentations and guidance to the trainees during virtual lectures. The participants followed the lectures online, participating in the debates and class discussions when called upon. Participants were given opportunities to share experiences from their country on issues regarding the topics under discussion.
Overall, the training was successful as knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences among the participants and course instructors was showcased. The trainees, based on their responses gained a lot from the training in the various topics that were taught. Key lessons that would greatly improve the participants general output were learned and new knowledge acquired.
The training will not only positively contribute to the development of the participants professional careers but will also ensure best practices in their various roles at EGENCO as they discharge duty. In the very short term, the training is expected to have an impact on the quality of the services offered to EGENCO by participants of the training. The sessions provided wonderful learning and knowledge exchange experiences.
KenGen-GTC continues to develop online courses to continue to dispense knowledge and skills to its clientele. Some of the virtual courses under development include Diploma in Geo-Scientific Technology, Diploma in Reservoir Monitoring Technology, Certificate in Energy Project Management, Diploma in GIS & Remote Sensing, Diploma in Battery Storage Technology, Diploma in Direct Use Applications and Diploma in Natural Resource Management.
The Writer is a Senior Information Scientist at KenGen Geothermal Institute