Menengai III Geothermal Power Station

The Menengai III Geothermal Power Station is a 35 MW (47,000 hp) geothermal power plant under construction in Kenya.[2]

Menengai III Geothermal Power Station
Location of Menengai III Geothermal Power Station
Country
LocationMenengai, Nakuru County, Kenya
Coordinates00°11′43″S 36°04′54″E
StatusUnder construction
Commission date2017 (Expected)[1]
Owner(s)Sosian Energy Limited
Power generation
Nameplate capacity35 MW (47,000 hp)

Location

The power plant is located in the Menengai Crater, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi), north of Nakuru, the location of the district headquarters. This is approximately 185 kilometres (115 mi), by road, northwest of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. The coordinates of Menengai Crater are:0°11'43.0"S, 36°04'54.0"E (Latitude:-0.195276; Longitude:36.081678).[3]

Overview

Geothermal Development Company (GDC), a geothermal development company, wholly owned by the Kenyan government has drilled geothermal wells in the Menengai Crater, whose total capacity can generate up to 130 MW (170,000 hp) of electric energy.

GDC will sell the steam to three independent power producers (IPPs) to build three geothermal power stations, each with capacity of 35 MW (47,000 hp). The power stations are:[4][5]

  1. Menengai I Geothermal Power Station - Owned by Orpower Twenty Two
  2. Menengai II Geothermal Power Station - Owned by Quantum Power East Africa
  3. Menengai III Geothermal Power Station - Owned by Sosian Energy

The Menengai IPP power projects are expected to come online during the second half of 2017.[1]

Ownership

Menengai III Geothermal Power Station is owned by Sosian Energy Limited, a Kenyan independent power producer (IPP).[6] Sosian Energy has selected Kaishan Renewable Energy Development, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Kaishan Compressor, a Chinese construction conglomerate, to build its geothermal power plant.[7][8]

Recent developments

In March 2022, the Narendra Raval, a wealthy Kenyan industrialist and business mogul, divested from Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power Limited, a Kenyan independent power producer (IPP) which owns a concession contract to build the 35 megawatts Menengai III Geothermal Power Station. The ownership was sold to Gideon Moi, a son of the late Daniel arap Moi, the second president of Kenya, at an undisclosed monetary consideration.[9]

In April 2022, the African Development Bank (AfDB), which was considering funding this renewable energy infrastructure, withdrew its support for the project and insisted on "change of ownership" before it would consider proving financing.[10]

See also

References
  1. TGEC (9 September 2015). "Private Menengai projects delayed until mid-2017". Thinkgeoenergy.com (TGEC). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  2. Kisero, Jaindi (6 March 2014). "Nakuru banks on steam power to drive economy". Daily Nation Mobile. Nairobi. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  3. Google (4 April 2016). "Location of Menengai III Geothermal Power Station" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  4. Owori, Tony (7 January 2015). "Menengai geothermal to save nation KSh 13 billion". The Standard (Kenya). Nairobi. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  5. Mureithi, Francis (14 February 2015). "Geothermal power from Menengai to be cheaper... at Sh7khw". Daily Nation. Nairobi. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  6. Economic News Update (19 August 2014). "Kenya moves to harness geothermal potential". London: Oxford Business Group. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  7. Jean Marie Takouleu (9 February 2021). "Kenya: CDC invests in Quantum and relaunches the Menengai II geothermal project". Paris, France: Afrik21.africa. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  8. Jean Marie Takouleu (15 April 2019). "Kenya: Zhejiang Kaishan to build Menengai III geothermal power plant". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. Otiato Guguyu (15 March 2022). "Steel tycoon sells back power firm stake to Gideon Moi". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  10. John Mutua (19 April 2022). "AfDB quits power plant over Gideon Moi stake". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
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