Prof. Mwakio TolePwani University College

Kilifi, KENYA

Introduction Geothermal Energy

Sources Uses

Prospects for Kenya Electricity Generation Industry Applications

Opportunities

Geothermal Energy

Uses of Geothermal Energy

The Kenyan Situation Installed Electricity Capacity 1,430 MWe Peak Demand approx 1,300 and increasing at 8% p.a. Little spare capacity for outages (emergencies,

Maintenance) Electricity Sources are

Hydro (52.1%) Thermal (32.5%) Geothermal (approx 200 MWe installed) (13.2%) Baggase (1.8%) Wind (0.4%)

Future Hydro Getting to the limit Fossil Fuels – Expensive, polluting (Climate Change),

Uncertainty Renewables show excellent prospects

Wind Solar Geothermal Ocean

Waves Tides and Currents Thermal (OTECs)

Geothermal in Kenya 7,000 MWe (Some estimates higher) Electricity Generation Industrial Applications Indigenous Little Environmental Impacts Least Cost High Availability and Reliability (>95%) – baseload

electricity

Presenter

Presentation Notes

High Temperature Geothermal Areas in the Kenyan Rift Valley

Also Low Enthalpy Resources in Other Areas

Coast (Mwananyamala) Nyanza (Homa Hills) Western (Mt. Elgon) Eastern (Kiboko, Merti)

Opportunities Create Industrial Parks, for combined uses (Steam

produces electricity – uses only 30% of the energy, hot condensate for industrial heating)

Government (Policies; Risks) Private Sector (Investments) Clean Development Mechanism (Orpower 4 Inc.

already benefitting)

CO2 Emissions from Electricity Generation in USA (Rybach (2010))

References Babier E. (1997) Nature and Technology of Geothermal

Energy Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 1: 1 – 69 Omenda, P. A. (2008) The Geothermal Activity of the East

African Rift UNU Geothermal Training Programme, Naivasha, Kenya

Rybach, L. (2010) CO2 mitigation by geothermal development – especially with geothermal heat pumps Proceedings of World Geothermal Congress 2010 Bali, Indonesia, 5pp.

Simiyu, S. M. And Omenda, P. A. (2009) Kenya plans to develop 1260 MWe of geothermal power by 2018. IGA News No. 75 pp. 13 - 14

Tole, M. P. (1985) Geochemical studies of the geothermal area east of the Jombo hill intrusion, Coast Province, Kenya – 1. Hot water reservoir temperatures. Kenya Journal of Science and Technology series A. Vol. 6 pp. 91 –101

Tole, M. P. (1992). Geothermal and Solar Energy for Sustainable Development in Africa – Possibilities and Dangers. In Lopes, H.; Jergman, K.; and Aswathanarayana, U. (Eds., 1992). Environment, Technology and Sustainable Development. Proceedings of the “Africa International Conference, Maputo, Mozambique, Nov. 25 – 29, 1991. Pp. 139 – 147

Tole, M. P. (1996). Geothermal energy research in Kenya: a review. Journal of African Earth Sciences Vol. 23(4) pp. 565 –575