Bogorio-Silale field in Kenya with planned development of up to 3,000 MW
Lake Bogoria, Kenya (source: flickr/ Rainbirder, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
27 Jan 2014
Kenya's Geothermal Development Company (GDC) plans the development of up to 3,000 MW of geothermal power generation capacity in in Bogoria-Silale block in Baringo county .
Geothermal Development Company plans the development of up to 3,000 MW of geothermal power generation capacity in in Bogoria-Silale block in Baringo county in Kenya.
In a recent interview, the chairman of GDC Simon Gicharu said that “power will be generated in two phases with 800 MW targeted during the first phase while the rest would be generated in the second phase.
Kenya’s installed capacity currently stands at 1,700 MW of which around 200 MW is geothermal which is to more than double in 2014. The government is however targeting to increase this by an additional 5,000 megawatts within the next 36 month. For this ambitious target, wind and coal are targeted beside geothermal.
Gicharu said the Bogoria-Silale block will be harnessed in phases. During the first phase, GDC targets to generate 800 MW.
Gicharu said the block is capable of yielding up to 576,000 tonnes of water per day which can irrigate 57,000 ha of land to supplement rain-fed agriculture and address perennial food insecurity in the region.
Area County governor Benjamin Cheboi said that Bogoria- Silale block will open up the northern frontiers of the Country, help in making electricity cheap and affordable.”
Source: KBC
