A manager at the Kipevu III power plant, Mr Robert Brudenell, oversees operations. KenGen is boosting geothermal production, which despite being capital intensive, is cited as the cheapest and most sustainable energy option for Kenya. Laban Walloga (courtesy businessdailyafrica.com).
The Kenya Electricity Generating company has started the second phase of drilling steam wells at Olkaria that will propel geothermal energy as the main source of power as erratic weather makes hydro-generation increasingly unreliable.
KenGen is aiming to raise geothermal production from 150 megawatts or 14.2 per cent of total supply to 430 megawatts by 2014, with another 540 megawatts being added four years later. That would reduce dependence on hydro -power which currently feeds 72 per cent of energy to the national grid.
The 50 steam wells that have been confirmed to have a capacity of 280 megawatts will see the construction of four new plants, two each at the Olkaria I and Olkaria IV fields, that will be driven by the steam.
“Geothermal is a stable, environmental-friendly and relatively cheaper form of generation,” said Geoffrey Muchemi, the Geothermal Development manager at KenGen during the rigging of steam wells at the Olkaria fields, Naivasha, last week.
