Binary and Flash Geothermal Technologies collaborate starting with Menegai Geothermal

Flash & Binary Power Plant Diagram.
Source GEA

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.

Menengai Geothermal Direct Use

Lake Bogoria Spa Pool

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.

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Kenya’s Geothermal Juggernaut ranks eight in the Word

Global Geothermal Energy

Kenya is now ranked as the world eighth largest producer of geothermal energy. Kenya’s installed geothermal power capacity now stands at about 600 MW, which accounts for 29% of Kenya’s total electricity production, up from the previous 13% in 2011. The new boost to make 29% of the energy mix could possibly put Kenya in the second position in the world. (Iceland holds the top spot in the world in that category, in 2013, 25% of Iceland electricity was generated using geothermal power).

Geothermal energy has lead to cuts in Kenya’s electrical power imports by half and lowered customer bills. Kenya will also export 30 MW of electricity to Rwanda, mainly from the Olkaria geothermal.
The top countries with geothermal energy are shown in the embedded chart. It also includes installed national generating capacity. The top ten countries in installed geothermal power capacity are: United States, Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, Iceland, Kenya, Japan, and Turkey
The world geothermal energy operating capacity in about 12, 800 MW as of January 2015, spread across 24 countries. Kenya contributed approximately 4.7% to this total capacity. The global geothermal energy is projected to reach about 30, 000 MW by the year 2030, if all counties follow through on their geothermal goals.
Kenya envision adding another 560 MW of geothermal power to the national grid to make a total of about 1,000 MW by 2019 by expanding the Olkaria geothermal plant. And according to Kenya’s Vision 2030 development blueprint, Kenya expects to have a total of 5,500 MW generated from geothermal.

Is Geothermal Energy Kenya’s “Holy Grail”?

Geothermal Sites in Kenya

Kenya’s estimated geothermal potential is more than 15,000 MW, according to Geothermal Development Company (GDC). Report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation revealed that Kenya and Turkey are the only two developing nations that have exceeded forecasts for harnessing geothermal energy over the last five years.
During the just concluded 17th East African Power Industry Convention (EAPIC), Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) was awarded both the outstanding Clean Power Award and Excellence in Power Generation. Their Olkaria geothermal power generation was specifically lauded.
The Olkaria area in Kenya’s Rift Valley is home to the largest geothermal project in Africa, it has a total potential of 2,000 MW. This estimate is almost equivalent to current electricity demand in Kenya.
The great leverage KenGen has exerted on geothermal energy was witnessed when electrical power imports from Uganda was cut by half. In the first half of 2015, Kenya imported 27.97 million kWh of electricity, this is compared to 57.91 million kWh during a similar period in 2014. The sharp slump in power imports by 51.7% was as a result of the Olkaria I geothermal power plant increasing its total capacity to 280 MW at the end of 2014. The connection of the additional power to the national grid necessitated a slice in power import from Uganda.

Geothermal Energy Cuts Kenya’s Electrical Power Imports by Half

Olkaria geothermal power plant

Geothermal energy is among renewable energy sources. It is derived from natural steam generated by heat deep in the earth’s crust, especially from volcanic-active belts.

The Great Rift Valley transverse Kenya from the north to the south. It is an area known for extinct, latent and active volcanic activity. This makes it an ideal location for generating geothermal energy.

The Olkaria area is a region located in Kenya’s Rift Valley. It is home to the largest geothermal project in Africa. It has been used to generate clean geothermal electrical power. It is estimated that the Olkaria area has a total potential of 2,000 MW, which is almost equivalent to current electricity demand in Kenya.

The Olkaria I commercial electricity generation started in 1981 with 15 MW. Similar capacity generation was added in 1982 and 1985 to make a total output of 45 MW. There was a steady increase over the years. At the end of 2014, an additional 140 MW was added to the national grid to make a total of 280 MW.

In the first half of 2015, Kenya imported 27.97 million kWh of electricity from Ethiopia (~5%) and Uganda (~95%). This is a drop of 29.94 million kWh compared to a similar period in 2014. The additional 140 MW increase in electrical energy added to the national power grid by Olkaria 1 geothermal power plant necessitated a sharp slump in power imports by 51.7%. This has also resulted in a fall in power bills to its customers.

This is good news for East Africa’s largest economy. This follows a rise in energy demand from the growing industries and increased electrical connectivity to its citizens which is now roughly 37% of the total population. This is against Kenya’s ambitious plan to connect 70% of its population to the electric power grid by 2017.