Toshiba Dips Toes into African Lava: New Geothermal Plant to Go Online in 2014

Toshiba has been tapped to supply equipment for Kenya’s newest geothermal power generation project. The company will supply geothermal steam turbines and generators early next year, which will go online in April 2014. Once the new power plant is active, a quarter of Kenya’s energy supply will come from stable geothermal sources.

Kenya currently has 3 geothermal plants in the Olkaria volcanic region 60 miles northwest of Nairobi, which supply about 10% of its current electrical capacity. With equipment from Toshiba, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Hyundai Engineering plan to bring the existing plants up to 70,000 kW each and build the Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Plant.

Stabilize That Grid!

The biggest chunk of Kenya’s current power supply comes from hydropower – nearly half, which makes it pretty green already. But as the weather is inconstant and Kenya suffers a drought, water just isn’t quite reliable enough. Geothermal power should help stabilize the grid and generate steady power supply.

The Olkaria project in part funded by a loan through the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), and is Toshiba’s first foray into the African market; its reputation for safety and reliability made it a perfect fit for the new project. Toshiba itself is hoping that the project will help boost sales of its geothermal equipment.

Source: Eco Japan | Image: Emerging Africa Fund.

Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/13KXS)

http://cleantechnica.com/2011/11/08/toshiba-dips-toes-into-african-lava-new-geothermal-plant-to-go-online-in-2014/ 

Geothermal Production in Kenya

This post was originally published on ecomagination.com and has been republished with permission.

“GDC Strikes Steam in Menengai,” exclaims the cover of this spring’s issue of Steam, the magazine of Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company. A column of steam spurts high into a deep blue sky in the cover photo—the geothermal industry’s equivalent of the black column that spurts from a successful oil well.

But steam is even more valuable than oil, at least to Kenya, which aims to produce 5,000 megawatts of power from geothermal energy by 2030.

“Power from geothermal is a sure means of improving our people’s way of life,” says Stephen Kalonzo Nusyoka, the Vice President of Kenya.

Geothermal is the only alternative energy source that is currently cost-competitive with fossil fuels [Editor's note: that's highly debatable -- see this wind power page and this solar power article and this solar power page. -ZS]. One analysis even says that geothermal is cheaper to produce: 3.6 cents per kilowatt-hour as compared to 5.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for coal.

However, that analysis does not account for two things: the cost of financing geothermal projects and the cost of exploration—actually finding the steam. In Kenya, and across the world, both costs can be high. But a cadre of determined individuals are working to overcome those challenges and unlock what they believe will be the engine of economic growth for East Africa.

Kenyan Wind Farm, Africa’s Largest, to Produce Lowest Cost Electricity

Famous in anthropological circles as the site of some of the earliest hominid remains, northern Kenya’s Lake Turkana is set to be the site of Africa’s largest wind farm. Project plans call for a total of 365 wind turbines to be built there, generating enough clean, renewable, grid-connected electrical power to meet more than 20% of the country’s electricity needs. On top of that, the electricity will be sold to national utility Kenya Power for 20 years at 7.52 euro cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (~9.9 US cents), a rate that, along with Kenya’s geothermal power, is the lowest in the country, according to an AFP news report.

“Here you can produce wind power at an interesting cost, without subsidies,” unlike the case in Europe, head of Dutch-led consortium Lake Turkana Wind Power Group Carlo Van Wageningen told AFP.

With a maximum rated capacity projected at 300 MW, Lake Turkana Wind Farm will be the largest in Africa. An initial 50 MW is scheduled to come on-line in mid-2014 with the balance due for commissioning in early 2015.

The 585 million euro (~$772 million) project also entails building a 428-kilometer (~265-mile) transmission line that will link the wind farm to the national grid, an element of the project that is being undertaken by Spain’s Isolux Corsan.

The consortium has signed a $756 million contract with Denmark’s Vestas A/S to supply 365 Vestas V52 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 850 kW

Kenya’s Green Energy Drive

Kenyans pay more for electricity than residents of any other African country except Rwanda. Even so, power cuts and power losses are common. Given its substantial wind, geothermal and solar energy resources, renewable energy could go a long way to improving the situation, as well as yielding significant benefits in terms of economic development, jobs creation and environmental conservation and protection.

630 million pesos for bioenergy projects

 by Cristian Fuentes

In order to promote the search for solutions so bioenergy can be strongly incorporated in the national energy matrix and obtain scientific-technological knowledge and innovative solutions to contribute to national energy development; Conicyt through Fondef, together with the National Energy Commission, created the Bioenergy Program, which will present its first projects awarded on June 13th at the Universidad de Concepción.

This initiative will provide financial support with over 630 million pesos to four research and development initiatives (R&D) of the Universidad Austral, Universidad de Concepción and Universidad Mayor, whose results are focused on obtaining new products, processes and services, or substantially improving the existing ones, in order to resolve critical issues in the value chain of liquid, solid and gaseous fuels.

Ceremony

The launching ceremony of the four projects will be held on Monday, June 13th, from 10:30 in the auditorium of the Faculty of Forest Sciences at the Universidad de Concepción. The event will be attended by Gonzalo Herrera, executive director of Fondef, as well as managers and researchers from the awarded initiatives, in addition to political and academic authorities and representatives from companies and the academic community. 

Awarded Projects

The Universidad Austral de Chile will develop a project that seeks to use mixed plantations in order to achieve that the simultaneous production of pulpwood and biomass for bioenergy products can be carried out in the same area. 

Biofuel Investments Threaten Local Land Rights in Tanzania

By Peter G. Veit, Mercedes Stickler, Candy Schibli and Catherine Easton1

28 February 2012

Just a couple weeks ago, Iowa State University (ISU) withdrew from advising the Iowa-based firm AgriSol Energy on its planned land deal in Tanzania. AgriSol Energy is seeking to acquire 320,000 hectares in Rukwa Region for large-scale food and biofuel production.isocially responsible ISU’s role had been to ensure that the for-profit venture be and benefit local communities. However, the development of AgriSol’s large-scale farm requires the eviction of 162,000 local farmers – hardly a benefit to the local communities.

In October 2011, work at the jatrophaiileave until further noticeplantation in Kisarawe District, Tanzania came to a halt when managers of Sun Biofuels, a British company, told more than 300 workers to collect their final paychecks and . The company established the 8000-plus hectare estate in 2008, but is now facing serious financial problems.
These layoffs came on the heels of BioShape, a Dutch company, ceasing operations in November 2009 on its 34,000 hectare jatropha plantation in Kilwa District. BioShape had employed more than 100 permanent staff, and about 700 casual laborers.iiiBioShape was officially In February 2010, the company suspended its last field operations and stopped paying salaries to its local employees and, in June 2010, declared bankrupt.
Other biofuel projects in Tanzania are also struggling to sustain their operations, including Swedish Sekab AB, Europe’s largest ethanol company. Despite these experiences, however, the government of Tanzania is considering allocating even more land to biofuel companies such as AgriSol Energy.
Most rural people in Tanzania make a living off their land, including subsistence farming and animal husbandry. When their land is taken—even if properly compensated for their losses—many fall into deeper poverty. New policies and government practices are urgently needed to protect local property rights to land and natural resources.
A Haven for Biofuel Investments