Kengens Experience in Geothermal Development.

Abstract

Kenya has significant geothermal power potentials that is estimated at approximately 10,000 MWe as envisaged from its rich geothermal prospect in the Kenya Rift region. Geothermal energy is regarded as reliable, indigenous, clean, green, renewable and base load source of energy. Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited (KenGen) has developed geothermal energy from Olkaria and Eburru with an installed capacity 533 MWe. This has put the country as the leading country globally in geothermal developments. KenGen is the leading power generating company in Kenya with an installed capacity of 1,617 MWe equivalent to about 80% of the national installed interconnected capacity of about 2350 MWe. KenGen utilizes various primary sources of energy to generate electricity ranging from hydro, wind, thermal and geothermal. KenGen plans to increase its installed capacity by 2,500 MWe by 2025 with most of the capacity expansion targeted from geothermal. Accelerated geothermal expansion in the company and in the country has been guided by Vision 2030 and current Government of Kenya (GoK) initiative to develop up to 5,000+ MWe by 2016. In the 5,000+MWe program, geothermal power is expected to be about 1,646MWe. Under this program, KenGen is expected to implement 700MWe of Geothermal power by 2018.