Case Study — Data Centres
Nairobi Tier III Data Centre — PDU Rollout
Complete design, fabrication, and on-site commissioning of low-voltage power distribution units, busbar trunking, and redundant ATS panels for a flagship colocation facility in Nairobi's Upper Hill technology corridor.
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Sector
Data Centres
Status
Commissioned
Capacity
2N Redundancy
Project Overview
A turnkey LV power distribution package engineered, built, and commissioned on a fast-track schedule to support a hyperscale colocation rollout.
The Challenge
The operator required a Tier III-certified electrical infrastructure capable of concurrent maintainability, with zero tolerance for unplanned downtime. Existing LV distribution designs from international suppliers carried lead times of 16-20 weeks and lacked the flexibility to accommodate phased rack deployments as IT load scaled from 2MW to 8MW.
The Solution
Nairobi Power Engineers Ltd designed and fabricated a fully modular PDU and busbar trunking system locally, cutting lead times by a third. The architecture included dual-bus redundant ATS panels, IP-rated PDU cabinets, and an integrated remote monitoring platform for real-time load and temperature visibility.
The Results
The facility achieved Tier III commissioning certification on schedule, with all LV switchgear, busbar runs, and ATS panels passing full load-bank testing on first attempt. The client has since commissioned NPE for two further phases of expansion.
01 — The Brief
Resilience Without Compromise
When a regional colocation operator broke ground on its flagship Nairobi facility, the brief was unambiguous: deliver a Tier III-equivalent power chain capable of maintaining continuous IT load even during planned maintenance, with a clear migration path to Tier IV concurrent maintainability in later phases.
The facility's design called for dual independent LV distribution paths feeding every rack row, each backed by its own automatic transfer switch (ATS), with busbar trunking sized to absorb future load growth without re-cabling. Importing pre-engineered PDU skids would have meant a 16-20 week wait on shipping, customs clearance, and commissioning support flown in from overseas — an unacceptable risk against the client's go-live date.
Nairobi Power Engineers Ltd was approached for a locally engineered alternative that could match international Tier III standards while compressing the delivery timeline and providing on-site commissioning support throughout.
02 — The Engineered Response
Built for 2N, Built in East Africa
NPE's design team worked directly with the client's M&E consultants to develop a custom PDU and switchboard suite, fabricated at our ISO 9001:2015-certified facility and commissioned on site by our own engineers.
Custom PDU Cabinets — IP54-rated, form 4 segregated PDU boards configured per rack row, with sub-metering on every output circuit for granular billing and capacity planning.
Busbar Trunking System — Sandwich busbar risers rated for future load growth, installed in a tap-off configuration that allows new IT racks to be energised without de-energising adjacent circuits.
Redundant ATS Panels — Dual-bus automatic transfer switch panels with make-before-break changeover, ensuring uninterrupted transfer between utility, generator, and UPS sources.
Remote Monitoring Integration — SCADA-ready current transformers and communication gateways feeding the client's BMS for real-time load, temperature, and breaker-status visibility.
03 — Results & Impact
Measured Performance Since Commissioning
99.99%
Power Availability Uptime
30%
Faster Deployment vs. Imported PDUs
2N
Redundancy Achieved
8MW
Designed IT Load Capacity
System Specifications
Key technical parameters of the delivered LV distribution package
| System | Specification | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Main LV Switchboard | 3200A, Form 4 Type 7 segregation | IEC 61439-1/2 |
| Busbar Trunking | 1600A sandwich busbar, tap-off configuration | IEC 61439-6 |
| PDU Cabinets | IP54, sub-metered per circuit, 63 units installed | IEC 61439-1 |
| ATS Panels | Dual-bus, make-before-break, 2N configuration | IEC 60947-6-1 |
| Monitoring & BMS | CT-based metering, Modbus TCP gateway integration | Open Protocol |
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Engineering Partnership
We help East Africa's leading organisations with their most critical power distribution requirements. From a single sub-distribution board to a full plant-wide installation — together we engineer enduring solutions.