Olkaria I geothermal power plant is set to undergo renovation following partnership with Toshiba. The company has received an order from SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. To provide steam turbines and generators for the geothermal power plant equipment renovation of Units 1 through 3 at the old 45MW Olkaria I .
Olkaria I geothermal power plant which is the oldest geothermal power plant in Kenya and has been in commercial operation by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen”) since 1981.
Shinya Fujitsuka, Director and Vice President of the Power Systems Division at Toshiba ESS, said, “I’m pleased that we can contribute to energy stability in Kenya by providing our equipment and services. Toshiba ESS will continue to provide optimal products and solutions to meet customer needs through its lineup of small to large geothermal steam turbines and generators with power outputs ranging from 1 MW to 200 MW.”
The steam turbines and generators will be shipped to the site by December 2025.Units 1 through 3 of the plant need renovation due to aging, and Toshiba ESS’s steam turbines and generators have been selected for the renovation.
This will increase the power output of Units 1 through 3 from the current 15 Megawatts（MW）to 21 MW each, enabling them to achieve a higher output with less steam. These points were highly evaluated by KenGen and led to the adoption of the contract.
Kenya’s economic growth is spurring demand for power. The government has responded with a comprehensive blueprint for development, Vision 2030, which currently includes provision for boosting Kenya’s electricity generating capacity from renewable sources and seeking to transition to 100% green energy by 2030. Many new geothermal power plants are planned to tap into the 9GW geothermal potential in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley region.
Toshiba ESS and KenGen concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to anticipate partnership on Operation and Maintenance (O&M) services through a combination of KenGen and Toshiba ESS’s know-how and networks in 2022.
They aim to provide O&M services for geothermal power plants for developing countries including East African countries outside Kenya.
Toshiba ESS has several successful delivery records providing geothermal power generation systems in Kenya and other East African countries. Additionally, Toshiba ESS has contributed to the promotion of geothermal power generation by signing MOU’s on geothermal power plant business with several partners in other East African nations.