Google Inc announced its investment in the Lake Turkana wind project in Kenya. Google has agreed to buy a 12.5 percent stake from Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems. Google will purchase the stake once the project is completed in 2017 for an undisclosed amount.
This investment will bring 310 megawatts of cheap, clean, and renewable energy into Kenya’s grid. It will account for about 15 percent of Kenya’s electricity needs, based on current generation capacity.
And once constructed, it will be the largest wind farm in all of Africa and the single-largest private sector investment in Kenya’s history.
Ormat Technologies Inc., is a company based in Reno, Nevada US. It specializes in binary geothermal energy systems. The binary systems are able to draw power from relatively low-temperature fluid of around 100 °C.
Japan’s Toshiba Corp is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It focuses in the conventional flash geothermal energy systems. The flash systems uses high-temperature steam to spin generator turbines.
Toshiba holds a 26% market share, making it the world’s geothermal leader. Ormat has produced roughly 12% of the world’s installed geothermal power capacity making it the fourth largest in the market.
The two companies will collaborate to build plants around the world by combining complementary technologies. The collaboration expected to increase geothermal market opportunities to support future growth.
In some situations, a combined cycle using both systems can be employed, with the specific technology for each project chosen based on the unique characteristics of the geothermal resource.
The first project expected to be implemented under this collaboration is the Menengai geothermal project in Nakuru, Kenya.
Uganda and Tanzania have signed an agreement to explore the Tanga route for crude oil export from Hoima in Uganda.
If plans go to fruition, it will be a major blow to Kenya’s Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor project. Kenya was hoping to piggyback on this proposed infrastructure to export the Turkana oil reserve. The Hoima-Lokichar-Lamu route passes through the volatile northern Kenya. These are areas suspected to be vulnerable to attacks by bandits or Islamist militants. This seems to be the main concern to Uganda and has prompted them to consider the route traversing Tanzania to Tanga Port in the Indian Ocean.
Uganda has diplomatically stated that they are simply evaluating the least-cost pipeline route through the East African coast, but in the real sense, security may be their major concern.
The southern Tanga route has also been projected to be cheaper.
The Lake Turkana Wind Power project – Source Guardian
Kenya aims to generate 2,036 MW of wind power, or 9% of the country’s total capacity, by the year 2030. Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP), in the medium term, will generate 310 MW of wind energy. It covers 40,000 acres (162 km2) – around 40km from the shores of Lake Turkana. The project will entail the installation of 365 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 850kW and is expected to be fully operational in mid-2017.
The Power produced at the Loiyangalani site will be evacuated through double circuit lines that will connect to the national grid at Suswa. The 430km, 400 KV double circuit line that will be constructed by the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO).
The 310 MW expected capacity is equal to about 20% of the country’s installed electricity generating capacity. The typical wind farm would have 25-35% utilization capacity. Lake Turkana will be 62% utilization capacity. Power from LTWP will cost 8.42 US cents per KWh. It is expected to drive down the cost of electricity in the country.
The Turkana Wind Power Project will be Africa’s largest wind farm connected to Kenya national grid. It is financed majorly by The African Development Bank at the cost of about US$ 800 million.
A tenderpreneur is a person or official or politician in government who uses their political power and influence to secure government tenders and contracts.
Tenderpreneur is a portmanteau of “tender” and “entrepreneur”. It is a South African lexicon which is now popularly used in Kenya.
Possible tenderpreneuring in the Kenya energy sector are:
Olkaria Geothermal RentCo East Africa Limited versus OJSC Power Machines of Russia
RentCo East Africa Limited, which tendered jointly with Lantech and Toshiba, was awarded the Sh20 billion contract to build a 50 MW geothermal power plant at Olkaria in Nakuru County, much to the surprise of other bidders.
OJSC Power Machines of Russia appealed to the Public Procurement Oversight Board. The company, claims it had the best bid. Lamu Coal Gulf Energy/Centum consortium versus Hebei Construction Investment Group
The Gulf Energy/Centum consortium brings together Centum Investment, CHD Power Plant Operation Company, Sichuan Electric Power Design and Consulting and Sichuan Electric Power Construction Company. They were awarded a tender for 1,000 MW coal power project in Lamu. The cost of the project is expected to be US$2 billion.
The tender award stirred controversy prompting Hebei Construction Investment Group which led another consortium bidding for the project to appeal against the Ministry of Energy’s decision citing irregularities
Gulf Energy/Centum team were later awarded the Lamu coal power deal
The heat from geothermal can be harnessed directly for other purposes, other than just electricity generation. History is replete with examples of taking advantage of geothermal heat, since the Paleolithic era.
The wide variety of applications for geothermal heat around the world includes space heating, spas, swimming pools, desalination, domestic hot water, heating water at fish farms (aquaculture), and agricultural/ industrial applications including drying crops, greenhouses and pasteurization.
Nakuru’s Menengai geothermal plans to diversify the use of geothermal away from the traditional electricity generation. The Menengai basin will be the Kenya’s second geothermal energy-fed special economic zone after Olkaria in Naivasha
Geothermal Development Company (GDC)plans to use Menengai geothermal for direct heat. The projects planned includes a milk processing plant, a laundry, horticultural greenhouse and an aquatic fish pond powered by heat tapped and channeled through pipes from the 30MW steam well. Investors and interested parties are called upon to invest in these projects.
The best example of geothermal direct use in Kenya is found in Naivasha. The Oserian Development Company which heats about 50 hectares of rose flower greenhouses using geothermal energy. It is the largest geothermal greenhouse heating project in the world.
Kenya's Energy Future 