Greenhouse Heating and Other Direct Use Opportunities in Kenya

Abstract

Geothermal development within the country is on a high growth rate with focus mainly on power generation, new developments include the recently commissioned 280Mw, a new plant Olkaria V to be commissioned later this year with a capacity of 158Mw in Olkaria field, an additional unit at the existing Olkaria 1 additional unit 6, and more wells being drilled in Menengai Nakuru by the Geothermal Development Company. Green house heating is where a geothermal well is channeled to heat fresh water which is circulated within the greenhouse with an intention of humid control, controlled humidity in turn leads to decrease in crop fungal infections. Heating also allows the greenhouse to be maintained at optimal crop growth conditions and shorten crop production cycles. This paper focuses on possibility of using some isolated low output wells which are seldomely used for power generation as they have a potential of less than 1Mwe, the wells can be channeled to several flower farms within Naivasha area which border Olkaria geothermal field. Greenhouse heating has been successfully implemented at Oserian flower farm in Kenya and the results are immense, it has greatly reduced cost used on fossil fuels for heating and helped in lowering cost of production and fasten rate of maturity in cut flowers, by implementing this technology the farms that boarder geothermal fields are able to increase their annual revenue benefitting from reduced infections and faster maturity and also give a chance for utilization of low temperature wells and exploitation of low temperature fields for several direct use opportunities in counties where there is potential like Mwananyamwala area in Kwale County. This will be of great help to Kenya in realization of food security in areas with potential.