Kenya set to begin construction of 158 MW geothermal power plant

Kenya plans to begin construction of a 158 MW geothermal power plant at the end of March, officials said on Monday.

State-owned Kenya Electricity Generating (KenGen) Managing director Albert Mugo told an investors briefing in Nairobi that procurement of the contractor for the Olkaria V project was concluded last month.

"We have already secured funding and we expect construction works to be completed by mid 2019," Mugo said. The geothermal power plant consist of two plants each producing 79 MW.

KenGen has also received funding from the European Investment Bank and the German Development Bank to construct another 70 MW geothermal power plant which should be connected to the national grid in 2019.

The power producer plans to add 743 MW of electricity by the year 2022 out of which 653 MW will comprise of geothermal power while 90 MW will consist of wind power.

Mugo said that Kenya will concentrate on producing geothermal power because the East African nation has huge geothermal resources.

"Kenya has only tapped less than 600 MW of geothermal power out of a potential of 10,000 MW," he said.

Mugo said that Kenya currently has an installed electricity generating capacity of 2,370 MW out of which KenGen produces 1,630 MW.

KenGen's energy mix includes 52 percent hydropower, 38 percent geothermal while thermal and wind accounts for nine and one percent respectively.

source: Xinhua