Page 13 - AfrElec Week 13 2022

AfrElec GEOTHERMAL AfrElec

KenGen completes

building Olkaria I Unit 6

JAPAN
KENYA has completed building the 83-MW Plan (LCPDP) focused on sustainable supply of
Olkaria I Additional Unit (AU) 6 geothermal renewable energy in support of the government’s
plant, which is set to inject more power to the Big Four Agenda,” she said in a March 29 press
national grid. release.
Kenya Electricity Generating Company The plant located near Naivasha town is
(KenGen) completed the facility after successful expected to inject 83.3MW into the national grid
delivery of full steam to the power plant setting and currently undergoing reliability tests to con-
in motion technical processes to commercial firm its output. This is the final process signaling
operation expected by June 2022. completion of construction period.
Construction of Olkaria I Additional Unit 6 KenGen said initial steam admission, which
geothermal power plant commenced in Decem- is integral part of verifying performance of the
ber 2018 following a groundbreaking ceremony turbine was conducted by the manufacturer,
which was graced by Kenya’s President Uhuru Fuji Electric Global with the project contractor,
Kenyatta. Marubeni Corporation.
It is a win for Kenyans as geothermal is a The tests come nearly nine months since the
renewable source of power. This is twinned with beginning of works to install steam turbine at the
reliability and affordability considering geother- new power plant. The turbine is now the larg-
mal will displace other more expensive sources est single unit of turbine ever installed in any of
of energy such as thermal power. KenGen’s geothermal power stations. This was
KenGen’s Managing Director Rebecca Miano also the first time a Fuji turbine was installed not
said Kenya had a big step toward 100% utiliza- only in Kenya but in Africa.
tion of renewable energy by the year 2030 as Geothermal today accounts for up to 39%
reliable supply of clean electricity will drive the of KenGen’s total installed generation capac-
country’s economic development. ity. With the additional 83MW, geothermal is
“The construction of Olkaria I Unit 6 is expected to grow from the current 713 MW to
aligned to the company’s long-term strategy 796 megawatts pushing up the share of KenGen’s
and Kenya’s Least Cost Power Development geothermal installed capacity to about 42%.™

Week 13 31•March•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13