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GDC expects Menengai to start operation of 100 MW in mid-2015

GDC expects Menengai to start operation of 100 MW in mid-2015 GDC drilling site at the Menengai crater, Kenya (source: in2eastafrica.net)
Francisco Rojas 30 Jun 2014

GDC's Managing Director Dr Silas Simiyu details that the expansion of geothermal will reduce costs of electricity in Kenya and expects that bout 100MW of geothermal energy to be online by 2015.

Menengai goes onwards with its geothermal development and aiming at expanding the available electricity grid in Kenya thanks to the efforts of GDC.

GDC has 59 wells of geothermal energy in Olkaria and 22 in Menengai. Steam from Olkaria will be used to support the 280 MW power plant that is set to start generation by the end of this year. In Menengai where GDC opened the green field in 2010, 100 MW of power will be generated by mid-2015.

According to the article, GDC Managing Director Dr Silas Simiyu said Kenya will save close to Sh44 billion used to import diesel once the geothermal steam is converted to electricity. “If you go to Menengai today, you will find that heavy infrastructural development is ongoing. We are constructing a steam gathering network to collect the steam to the power plants. Menengai will be the fastest developed field in the world to produce in just less than five years,” he explained. The new funding from the Germany’s kfw and from the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Fund will also see the firm opening up the Baringo-Silali Block which has a potential of about 3,000 MW. This will reduce the cost of electricity and of doing business.

Source: Standard Media Website