KenGen’s geothermal development ambitions are becoming more solid, as reported by Bloomberg and Business Daily. They were previously mentioned as part of preparations for significant fundraising.
KenGen has increased its efforts in shaping its geothermal business beyond geothermal power generation in recent years, now providing drilling services, among others, in Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, and is currently in talks with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for geothermal work.
“It’s going to be exciting to see that capacity transferred to other countries and a chance to replicate the business,” says Marit Brommer, Executive Director of the International Geothermal Association, the key geothermal industry association.
As part of a call for geothermal consultants KenGen also announced it wants to set up new geothermal power plants with a combined power generation capacity of 682 MW in the next four years that would nearly double the company’s current installed capacity of 713.13 MW (Kenya’s total installed capacity is 861 MW as of today).
KenGen expects to start up the 83.3 MW Olkaria I Unit 6, which is presently under construction, later this year. The proposed plants, according to the business, are in accordance with its geothermal growth plans, which will see it reach its goal installed power generating capacity of 2,500 MW (mainly from green sources) by 2025.
According to the articles, Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is now aiming to complete the three private geothermal power plant projects in Menengai (335 MW for a total of 105 MW) by 2023.
