Wellhead plants of British Green Energy Geothermal (GEG) at Olkaria, Kenya (source: GEG/ Lydur Skulason) This guest post by Tina Nduta provides an insight into geothermal development in Kenya, and how the country serves as a role model for further geothermal development through out Eastern Africa. In this guest post, Tina Nduta ( LinkedIn ), Founder at Extractives & Energy Network Africa (EENA) gives us a featured overview on “Kenya’s Journey to become a top world geothermal producer and benchmark model for skill, capacity and technology to other African Countries.”
Introduction – What is geothermal energy?
Geothermal energy is the natural heat based within the earth’s crust. The energy is manifested on earth’s surface in form of fumaroles, hot springs and hot altered ground.
To extract the energy, wells are drilled to tap the steam and water at high temperature (250 -350 degrees Celsius) and pressures of (600 – 1200 psi) at depths of 1 to 3 kilometers. For electricity generation, the steam is piped to a turbine, which rotates the generator to produce electrical energy.
Geothermal power is uniquely ideal because it’s base load, it’s a renewable fuel so it does not emit carbon to the atmosphere, and is one of the most affordable forms of renewable energy.
Geology
The rift valley, for most, that reference perhaps only resonates with the spectacular view of the great rift view near Mt. Longonot, or a reference to a Province in Kenya. But the association of this spectacular geological feature to a world class geothermal resource largely goes un-noticed.
East Africa Rift System is associated with worldwide oceanic rift systems of over 30 – million years ago. These rifting events resulted to tectonics shifts and Volcanism and Geothermal activity is associated with occurrence of Quaternary Volcanoes located within the axis of the Rifts.
Kenya’s Exploration Journey
Exploration of geothermal resources in Kenya began in 1950’s and gained momentum in the 1960’s, when two wells were drilled in Olkaria. From 1967 the United Nations Development programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Kenyan government and the Eastern Africa Power and Lighting company ltd conducted geological and geophysical surveys in the areas between Lake Bogoria and Olkaria. These studies identified Olkaria as being the most prospective area – leading to the construction of the first geothermal power station between 1981 and 1984 – Olkaria I.
Olkaria I power station became the first geothermal power plant in Africa and has […]
