Olkaria 1 Additional Unit 6

Olkaria I Geothermal Power Station is one in a series of six geothermal power stations developed by Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen), clustered in the Olkaria area in Nakuru County. Olkaria I Power Station was the first geothermal power plant in Africa. The 45 MW plant was commissioned in three phases and has three units each generating 15MW of electricity. The first unit was commissioned in June 1981, the second and third units in November 1982 and March 1985, respectively.

A total of 33 wells were drilled for the station. Thirty-one of these are currently connected to the power station while two of these are retired. One of which is currently being used for hot re-injection. The turbines are direct condensing 4-stage running with an inlet steam pressure of 5 bars at temperatures of 152oC and steam consumption of 9.2 t/h/MW. The plant has had an average availability factor of over 95% from commissioning. The power generated is connected to the national grid via a 132KV-transmission line.

In December 2018, KenGen started the construction of Olkaria I Additional Unit (AU) 6 following a ground-breaking ceremony that was graced by then President, Uhuru Kenyatta. The unit was expected to inject an additional 86MW into the national grid further advancing Kenya’s green energy leadership.

Construction of the unit was also aligned to KenGen’s company’s long-term strategy and the Least Coast Power Development Plan (LCPDP) focused on sustainable supply of renewable energy in support of the Government

In August 2021, KenGen announced that construction of the power plant had reached its final phase. According to Managing Director and CEO, Rebecca Miano, the company had started installing a Steam Turbine into the plant. “This is the largest single unit of turbine we will be installing in any of our power plants with a capacity of 83.3MW and with its installation we are now entering the final phase of construction of the power plant,” said Miano. At the same time, she revealed that Fuji Electric, the turbine manufacturer had deployed Technical Adviser who would oversee the whole installation process and ensure success. “This is the first time a Fuji Turbine was being installed not only in Kenya but in Africa,” she added.

She further added that the technical adviser would be assisted by a team of Engineers from both Fuji Electric and KenGen. “The turbine installation and its auxiliaries will take approximately three months including dynamic balancing. The installation of turbines will run along with other major installations such as Generator Step Up Transformer (GSUT), Auxiliary transformers, MV and LV Switchgears, Non Condensable Gas extraction system, Cooling water system, Air Compressor system, Heating and Ventilation system and Emergency Diesel Generator,” said the CEO.

“With these activities running concurrently, it will ensure that the power plant’s commissioning is achieved in the last quarter of the year 2021,” she asserted.

In early April 2022, KenGen said in a statement that construction of the 83MW Olkaria I, Additional Unit (AU) 6 Geothermal Power Plant had been completed, kicking off work to connect it to the national power grid. This achievement came after the successful delivery of full steam to the power plant, which set in action technical steps that would lead to commercial operation in June 2022.

The statement also revealed that the plant was undergoing reliability testing to validate its production; the final procedure that signaled the end of the building era. The initial steam admission, which is an essential aspect of evaluating the turbine’s functionality, was carried out by the turbine manufacturer, Fuji Electric Global, in collaboration with the project contractor, Marubeni Corporation. The tests occurred roughly nine months after the work to install the steam turbine at the new power plant began. President Uhuru Kenyatta finally commissioned the power plant in late July 2022, propelling KenGen’s geothermal capacity to 799MW and also increasing its total installed energy capacity to 1,904MW.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Kenyatta commended the KenGen team and stakeholders involved in undertaking the project which was implemented during the COVID-19 peak periods in 2020 and 2021. “This is indeed a great milestone for not only KenGen but the rest of Kenyans as far as developing clean energy is concerned. Clean and safe energy is increasingly becoming vital in energy development, and it is through this approach that we shall attain universal access to electricity in our nation and meet key energy needs,” he said. During the event, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Amb. Dr. Monica Juma, said that the completion of the project project marks another milestone in Kenya’s efforts towards achieving energy security as well as accelerating economic growth through improved energy access. “It represents an important moment in our efforts to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels and create a more sustainable future for us all,” said the CS.

For his part, KenGen Board Chairman, Gen. (Rtd) Samson Mwathethe said that the project is vital for the nation because adequate supply of electricity is undeniably a primary enabler for our economic development. “Through the experiences of this project, we are glad we managed to gain new experiences in geothermal development. Notably, the commissioning of Olkaria I Unit 6 propels us an inch closer to the Geothermal Gigawatt Club,” he added.

His sentiments were echoed by KenGen Managing Director and CEO, Rebecca Miano, who noted that the company’s geothermal agenda was to increase production in line with the growing demand for power while also ensuring that the business lives up to the expectations of shareholders.

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