Kenya Turn’s To Geothermal Power

By Owen Turner

What is Geothermal Power?

• Geothermal power is power extracted from heat stored below the earths crust

• Geothermal energy is generated in the Earth's core• The energy is seen on the earth’s surface in the form

of fumaroles, hot springs and hot altered grounds. • To extract this energy, wells are drilled to tap steam

and water at high temperatures (250-350°C) and pressures (600-1200 PSI) at depths of 1-3 km

How it works?

For electricity generation, the steam is piped to a turbine, which rotates a generator to produce electrical energy.

• Geothermal power is known for powering electricity• Geothermal is a sustainable source of energy used to

power many things• Geothermal power is cost effective, reliable,

sustainable, and environmentally friendly• Geothermal wells release greenhouse gases trapped

deep within the earth• As a result, geothermal power has the potential to help

lessen global warming if widely used in place of fossil fuels such as oil and coal.

Why do we need Geothermal Power?

Pros and Cons of geothermal power

Pros Cons•Very cost effective to run once operating•Relatively low greenhouse gas emissions•Small land impact•Doesn't require raw materials to be transported in•Reliable power generation

•Very high initial setup costs due to need for expensive drilling technology•Can only be drilled in places where geothermal activity is close to the earths surface (usually edge of tectonic plates)

Kenya + Geothermal

• Kenya is getting ready to spend $1.3 billion on geothermal energy development

• While the country has more than 22 years of experience using the Earth’s natural heat to generate power, this new project is expected to produce 280 megawatts from four separate geothermal generators each capable of pumping out 70 megawatts.

• Megawatts are used for measuring the amount of energy

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Current geothermal power stations

Olkaria I 45MW Olkaria IV 2013 140MW

Olkaria II 70MW Olkaria V Unknown

Olkaria III 48MW

Planned geothermal power stations

Kenya Electricity Generating Company

• Kenya Electricity Generating Company Limited (KenGen) is the leading electric power generation company in Kenya, producing about 80 percent of electricity consumed in the country

• In addition to geothermal power, the company uses several different methods to produce sustainable energy: – hydro (the use of water)– thermal (using the Earth’s natural heat)– Wind

• Hydro is the leading source for energy production in Kenya

Kenya Electricity Generating Company

Why the energy is needed• Kenya needs the electricity because only 10% of the houses in Kenya have

electricity• Kenya needs to generate more power to support its country’s growth

plans. However, it will also need to build up the infrastructure necessary to transmit it on a much larger scale.

• Kenya’s hydro power generation has suffered from the effects of recent droughts

• It is a developing nation with a growing population but is not especially wealthy and needs the cheaper energy source

• Kenya has no natural oil or gas reserves• Kenya has significant geothermal areas – especially in the Rift valley

Can the Kenyan’s afford this?• Using Kenya’s geothermal reserves is a good solution to Kenya’s energy

needs as it is readily available, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. It reduces the country’s dependence on costly outside energy supplies BUT, the cost of development is more expensive than the country can afford – The European Development Bank (EDB) and the World Bank (also known as

the International Development Agency – IDA) have stepped up to invest in this new project

– Their support should lower the cost of the power produced for average Kenyans, and it should go a long way toward meeting the world community’s energy and emissions reduction goals

Aid organizations in Kenya• In addition to EDB and IDA, other aid organizations willing to

help fund Kenya’s geothermal production plans are:

– KfW Entwicklungs Bank (international aid arm of the German Government)

– French Agency For Development (AFD controlled by French Government)

– Japanese International Development Aid (JCIA)

• By helping the Kenyans, the aid organisations mentioned are:– Completing their mission to assist with the

sustainable development of developing nations and;-

– Offsetting their own country’s carbon emissions by spending money on green energy development in growing nations like Kenya – giving them a sort of ‘green credit’ and making the world a better place.

Why help Kenya?