|
|
| Fig. 1: Workers at the Olkaria Geothermal Power Plant in Kenya. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
In the coming decade, electricity demand in Kenya is expected to grow rapidly, anywhere from 6-15% per year. [1] Some estimates project that energy demand in the country will triple by 2030, due to population and economic growth and the Kenyan governments stated goal of universal nationwide electrification. [2] How will Kenya meet this rapidly growing electricity demand?
Presently, oil and natural gas make up a significant piece of Kenyas energy generation. However, their role is likely to diminish due to widespread public criticism of non-renewable energy sources. [1] Illustrating the magnitude of this opposition, the Lamu coal-fired plant was scheduled to begin construction in 2015, but has still not been launched due to strong local resistance against the project. [1] Moreover, the high carbon emissions from oil and coal do not align with the green initiatives put forth by the Kenyan government in their Kenya Vision 2030 energy policy. [2] Hydropower faces issues of its own. Specifically, the energy source is highly unreliable in the face of droughts. [1] Geothermal energy, on the other hand, does not face any of these issues.
As Kenya develops its plan for future electricity generation, the many benefits of geothermal energy have made it the centerpiece of this plan. Geothermal power sources provide relatively clean energy that is, in the long-run, relatively cheap. [1] Additionally, if the geothermal plants are properly managed, the energy source is essentially inexhaustible. [1] Most importantly, the power generated by geothermal plants is always available, making them an excellent source of baseload power generation. [1] Capitalizing on these benefits, Kenya has already installed 676 MWe of capacity of geothermal energy. [3] However, this barely scratches the surface of what Kenya can draw from its wealth of access to geothermal sites. In fact, the Kenya Rift Valley alone has an estimated potential of more than 2,000 MWe spread across 14 different sites. [4]
Given the promising benefits of geothermal energy and their plentiful access to the rift valley, Kenya has already established several geothermal plants and has begun development on key new projects. Presently, there are four plants operating at the Olkaria Volcanic Complex, each of which can generate 140 MWe of power. [4] A fifth plant is under development at the site which be capable of generating an additional 165 MWe and is expected to be commissioned in 2019. [4] Fig. 1 shows workers building the new plant at the Olkaria site. Additionally, a new project, known as Menengai 1, will develop a new geothermal field which will support three new geothermal plants capable of generating a total of 105 MWe. [4] Clearly, the Kenyan government is well on its way towards establishing geothermal energy as their electricity source of the future.
© Thomas Rogers. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] J.W. Rosen, "Kenya Straddles a Volcanic Rift. Its a Green-Energy Geyser," National Geographic, 7 Nov 18.
[2] A. Yee, "Geothermal Energy Grows in Kenya," New York Times, 23 Feb 18.
[3] "BP Statistical Review of World Energy, Renewable Energy Supplement," British Petroleum, June 2018.
[4] O. W. Johnson and M. Ogeya, "Risky Business: Developing Geothermal Power in Kenya," Stockholm Environmental Institute, October 2018.
