Geothermal power plants totalling 105 MW are to be built in Kenya’s Rift Valley, according to reports.
The plants are planned as part of an initiative by the state-owned Geothermal Development Company (GDC) which aims to build 5 GW of capacity in Kenya by 2030.
According to African business magazine Ventures Africa, GDC has selected three independent power producers (IPPs) to build the plants: Australia’s Quantum Power, US-based Ormat Technologies and Kenyan Sosian Energy. The three firms were chosen from 12 bids submitted in September 2013.
Each company has been contracted to build a 35 MW steam power plant, and each will own and operate its own plant. Each plant is expected to cost around Sh4 billion (US$500 million).
GDC will supply steam for the plants at Sh3.05 ($0.04)/kWh. The company expects to finish drilling the geothermal wells for the project by the end of 2014, and grid connection for all three plants is planned by end 2015.
