One of the benefits given by the fibreglass is its ability to withstand adverse weather conditions, it is also cheaper to maintain. This has driven Kenya Power to favor fibreglass poles over wood, although the original cost of the new material may be high. Resistance to rot and pests raises the maintenance cost for wooden poles, on average this gives them a life-span of 25 years. Kenya Power’s new strategy should revert resources towards increasing the households supplied by the transmission company.
Fibreglass can be churned out of factories at a fast rate and poles made from the material can be installed in areas that are hard to access. Poles created from the material can stick around for up to 80 years. According to Kenya Power boss, Benson Chumo, the new poles will have a positive impact on electricity supply costs. The company has been replacing wooden poles with concrete ones since 2011.
