IN-DEPTH / IN-DEPTH
2024 Yearender: Chinese technology enhances Kenya’s geothermal efficiency, delivers reliable, clean and affordable power to households
A boost from the earth
Editor's Note:
In today's world, green has become the defining color of the New Era in China, with green development emerging as a significant feature of Chinese modernization. Green development, which seeks to promote harmony between humanity and nature while maximizing economic and social benefits with minimal resource consumption, has now become a global consensus. China is actively implementing the concept of sustainable development and is playing a key role in driving the global transition toward a low-carbon future.
However, this year, the US launched a narrative of "overcapacity" against China's new energy sector as part of its unilateral trade protectionism. Against this backdrop, we have launched the year-ender 2024 series that casts a global gaze on the transformative power of China's green energy initiatives, illuminating how they empower individuals around the world to realize their dreams and foster hope and development.
This is the third installment in the series. The story illustrates how Chinese enterprises and technologies boost Kenya's geothermal power development, inject new impetus into the country's green development, and more importantly, benefit local people's lives.
In the heart of Rift Valley, located about 10 kilometers from Nakuru county in west Kenya, the country's first geothermal power plant built with 100 percent Chinese technologies, the 35-megawatt (MW) Sosian geothermal power plant, has been running for more than a year.
During the period, the plant has generated an average annual power output of 38.5 MW. The electricity has been fed into Kenya's national grid and provided tens of thousands of households and companies in Nakuru - Kenya's 4th largest urban centre with a population of 570,674 - with reliable, clean and affordable electricity, the Global Times learned.
Only 250 meters away from the Sosian plant, work on another 35-MW geothermal power plant, the Orpower 22 Geothermal Power Plant, is rapidly advancing since October.
To be implemented in 17 months, the Orpower 22 power plant is believed to serve as a boost to Kenya's green energy switch, enhance climate resilience and stimulate the country's green economic growth.
The two plants are part of the 105-megawatt Menengai geothermal project that consists of three modular power plants. The project, after completion, is expected to benefit around 500,000 households of which 70,000 in rural areas, 300,000 small businesses, according to a Word Bank report.
A sustainable energy source
Geothermal power harnesses heat from the earth's crust to convert groundwater into steam, which then drives turbines to generate electricity.
The 6,400-kilometer East African Rift System (EARS), one of the largest rifts in the world, not only creates a magnificent landscape in Kenya, but also provides abundant geothermal resources with a power potential of 10,000 MW, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Kenya has been exploring its geothermal potential since the 1950s. The country now is the sixth largest geothermal power producer in the world, with geothermal energy accounting for over 50 percent of the national power mix followed by hydro power and thermal power, according to Xinhua reports.
Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable energy source. It is abundant in Kenya and more stable than wind and hydro energies. The commissioning of the Sosian geothermal power plant and the commencement of construction of the Orpower 22 geothermal power plant will have a profound impact on Kenya's efforts to promote the transition to green energy and address climate change, Li Haitao, a project manager from Kaishan Group, the contractor of Sosian and Orpower 22 plants, told the Global Times.
'Chinese technology is trustworthy'
In recent years, the increasing electricity demand driven by the rapidly developing economy and the eagerness for green development transformation have compelled the country to accelerate its development of geothermal resources.
Kenya is in urgent need of more efficient methods and technologies to expand its geothermal power generation capacity. It is under this circumstance through which the country has joined forces with its Chinese partners, who, although new to Kenya's geothermal energy market, however have rich experience and advanced technology in the renewable energy sector, to seek a solution.
"The construction cycle of geothermal power generation projects that use traditional technologies is long, and the costs are high, with limited average operating time. However, our independently developed technology effectively addresses these issues," Li said.
According to Li, it only took about 17 months to complete the Sosian plant, while traditional average construction cycle is more than 20 months. The technologies and equipment used in the construction of the Sosian and Orpower 22 plants are 100 percent developed by China. Compared to the equipment of enterprises from other countries, Chinese equipment also requires shorter downtime for maintenance each year, with the total annual power generation time exceeding 8,000 hours, reaching a world-leading level.
The generation time of geothermal power plants built by traditional leading companies in the field, for example Fuji, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi from Japan, is normally 6,000 hours, requiring longer maintenance hours, according to Li.
The Chinese company's cost-effective price also proved a crucial advantage. Kaishan unveiled on its website that its contracts with the Sosian and Orpower 22 plant were valued at less than $70 million. In contrast, the contract with the third plant of the Menengai project using Japanese technologies is a staggering $108 million.
The price difference is rooted in innovative technology. The Global Times learned that, instead of traditional steam turbines, the Sosian's 35-MW plant employs steam screw expanders and a bottom cycle to handle the saturated steam discharge, reducing the steam to atmospheric levels throughout the entire process while eliminating the parasitic power typically consumed by vacuum systems.
The overall efficiency compared to a traditional steam turbine is a huge game changer for this site. The project only needed a guarantee of 33.25 MW, and the target was 35 MW, but we're actually generating 38.5 MW per year, Li said.
According to Li, the electricity generated by the Sosian plant is integrated into the Kenyan national grid at the price of $0.07 per kilowatt hour. While the electricity price in Kenya is about 28 Kenyan shilling (KES) ($0.22) per kilowatt hour, which is more than three times the highest level of electricity price in Beijing.
"Chinese companies have brought new technologies for the development of geothermal resources [in Kenya], and the stable and efficient operation of the Sosian geothermal power station fully demonstrates that Chinese technology is trustworthy. Chinese technology will continue to support Kenya in accelerating the development of geothermal resources, promoting the country's energy transition and green development," Sosian Energy Ltd project leader Moses Rotich told the People's Daily.
From power to empower
China is not only bringing about electricity to Kenyans, but also helping cultivate a group of technical talents.
Huang Hongwei, a manager at the PowerChina Fujian Engineering Co., Ltd. (POWERCHINA Fujian) Menengai geothermal project, told the Global Times that there have been several Kenyan employees who stayed in the POWERCHINA Fujian construction team for more than five years, and they have become close family with their Chinese colleagues. POWERCHINA Fujian is the constructor of Sosian and Orpower 22 plants.
A Kenyan employee in the construction team named Duncan Maina told the Global Times that "I initially worked as an electrical site engineer, responsible for on-site supervision. Later, I was promoted to project engineer and took charge of safety and environmental protection. I recently joined the project management team. I am very happy to have this job, which shows the Chinese company trusts and values Kenyan employees."
Another engineer in the team Vazira Dennis said, "This is my first job in the energy development field. With the help of my Chinese colleagues, I have learned a lot of technical knowledge and gained considerable project management experience. This will be very helpful for my future involvement in related work."
In the operation team at the Sosiyan Power Station, the ratio of Chinese employees to Kenyan employees is 1:1, and the proportion of foreign employees will gradually increase in the future, according to Li.
Kenya has laid out an ambitious Vision 2030 to generate 100 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2030, among which geothermal power accounts for 60 percent, according to Xinhua.
The country is committed to decarbonizing the national grid and accelerating progress toward achieving net-zero targets, guided by progressive regulatory and policy tools alongside targeted investments, Kenyan President William Ruto said at the launch ceremony of the Orpower 22 plant on October 24.
Currently, Kenya has only tapped 950 MW out of the country's 10,000-MW geothermal potential, the president revealed, stressing that Chinese investors are pivotal in the sustainable exploitation of this clean source of energy.
Starting from the Sosian geothermal plant, Chinese companies' cooperation with Kenyan partners have expanded far further to help foster comprehensive zero-carbon industrialization and directly benefit more people in the country.
At the ceremony of Orpower 22 plant, Kaishan also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), outlining their cooperation in the production of sustainable green ammonia and green fertilizers, according to Li.
Once completed and operational, the project will promote agricultural development in Kenya and East Africa, help reduce fertilizer imports, alleviate the financial burden of fertilizer subsidies on East African countries, and provide farmers with affordable, high-quality local green fertilizers, according to Xinhua.
In today's world, green has become the defining color of the New Era in China, with green development emerging as a significant feature of Chinese modernization. Green development, which seeks to promote harmony between humanity and nature while maximizing economic and social benefits with minimal resource consumption, has now become a global consensus. China is actively implementing the concept of sustainable development and is playing a key role in driving the global transition toward a low-carbon future.
However, this year, the US launched a narrative of "overcapacity" against China's new energy sector as part of its unilateral trade protectionism. Against this backdrop, we have launched the year-ender 2024 series that casts a global gaze on the transformative power of China's green energy initiatives, illuminating how they empower individuals around the world to realize their dreams and foster hope and development.
This is the third installment in the series. The story illustrates how Chinese enterprises and technologies boost Kenya's geothermal power development, inject new impetus into the country's green development, and more importantly, benefit local people's lives.
An aerial view of the Sosian geothermal power plant in Kenya Photo: Courtesy of Kaishan Group
In the heart of Rift Valley, located about 10 kilometers from Nakuru county in west Kenya, the country's first geothermal power plant built with 100 percent Chinese technologies, the 35-megawatt (MW) Sosian geothermal power plant, has been running for more than a year.
During the period, the plant has generated an average annual power output of 38.5 MW. The electricity has been fed into Kenya's national grid and provided tens of thousands of households and companies in Nakuru - Kenya's 4th largest urban centre with a population of 570,674 - with reliable, clean and affordable electricity, the Global Times learned.
Only 250 meters away from the Sosian plant, work on another 35-MW geothermal power plant, the Orpower 22 Geothermal Power Plant, is rapidly advancing since October.
To be implemented in 17 months, the Orpower 22 power plant is believed to serve as a boost to Kenya's green energy switch, enhance climate resilience and stimulate the country's green economic growth.
The two plants are part of the 105-megawatt Menengai geothermal project that consists of three modular power plants. The project, after completion, is expected to benefit around 500,000 households of which 70,000 in rural areas, 300,000 small businesses, according to a Word Bank report.
A sustainable energy source
Geothermal power harnesses heat from the earth's crust to convert groundwater into steam, which then drives turbines to generate electricity.
The 6,400-kilometer East African Rift System (EARS), one of the largest rifts in the world, not only creates a magnificent landscape in Kenya, but also provides abundant geothermal resources with a power potential of 10,000 MW, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Kenya has been exploring its geothermal potential since the 1950s. The country now is the sixth largest geothermal power producer in the world, with geothermal energy accounting for over 50 percent of the national power mix followed by hydro power and thermal power, according to Xinhua reports.
Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable energy source. It is abundant in Kenya and more stable than wind and hydro energies. The commissioning of the Sosian geothermal power plant and the commencement of construction of the Orpower 22 geothermal power plant will have a profound impact on Kenya's efforts to promote the transition to green energy and address climate change, Li Haitao, a project manager from Kaishan Group, the contractor of Sosian and Orpower 22 plants, told the Global Times.
Huang Hongwei at the Sosian plant Photo: Courtesy of POWERCHINA
'Chinese technology is trustworthy'
In recent years, the increasing electricity demand driven by the rapidly developing economy and the eagerness for green development transformation have compelled the country to accelerate its development of geothermal resources.
Kenya is in urgent need of more efficient methods and technologies to expand its geothermal power generation capacity. It is under this circumstance through which the country has joined forces with its Chinese partners, who, although new to Kenya's geothermal energy market, however have rich experience and advanced technology in the renewable energy sector, to seek a solution.
"The construction cycle of geothermal power generation projects that use traditional technologies is long, and the costs are high, with limited average operating time. However, our independently developed technology effectively addresses these issues," Li said.
According to Li, it only took about 17 months to complete the Sosian plant, while traditional average construction cycle is more than 20 months. The technologies and equipment used in the construction of the Sosian and Orpower 22 plants are 100 percent developed by China. Compared to the equipment of enterprises from other countries, Chinese equipment also requires shorter downtime for maintenance each year, with the total annual power generation time exceeding 8,000 hours, reaching a world-leading level.
The generation time of geothermal power plants built by traditional leading companies in the field, for example Fuji, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi from Japan, is normally 6,000 hours, requiring longer maintenance hours, according to Li.
The Chinese company's cost-effective price also proved a crucial advantage. Kaishan unveiled on its website that its contracts with the Sosian and Orpower 22 plant were valued at less than $70 million. In contrast, the contract with the third plant of the Menengai project using Japanese technologies is a staggering $108 million.
The price difference is rooted in innovative technology. The Global Times learned that, instead of traditional steam turbines, the Sosian's 35-MW plant employs steam screw expanders and a bottom cycle to handle the saturated steam discharge, reducing the steam to atmospheric levels throughout the entire process while eliminating the parasitic power typically consumed by vacuum systems.
The overall efficiency compared to a traditional steam turbine is a huge game changer for this site. The project only needed a guarantee of 33.25 MW, and the target was 35 MW, but we're actually generating 38.5 MW per year, Li said.
According to Li, the electricity generated by the Sosian plant is integrated into the Kenyan national grid at the price of $0.07 per kilowatt hour. While the electricity price in Kenya is about 28 Kenyan shilling (KES) ($0.22) per kilowatt hour, which is more than three times the highest level of electricity price in Beijing.
"Chinese companies have brought new technologies for the development of geothermal resources [in Kenya], and the stable and efficient operation of the Sosian geothermal power station fully demonstrates that Chinese technology is trustworthy. Chinese technology will continue to support Kenya in accelerating the development of geothermal resources, promoting the country's energy transition and green development," Sosian Energy Ltd project leader Moses Rotich told the People's Daily.
Picture shows a group of smiling children in Kenya. Photo: VCG
From power to empower
China is not only bringing about electricity to Kenyans, but also helping cultivate a group of technical talents.
Huang Hongwei, a manager at the PowerChina Fujian Engineering Co., Ltd. (POWERCHINA Fujian) Menengai geothermal project, told the Global Times that there have been several Kenyan employees who stayed in the POWERCHINA Fujian construction team for more than five years, and they have become close family with their Chinese colleagues. POWERCHINA Fujian is the constructor of Sosian and Orpower 22 plants.
A Kenyan employee in the construction team named Duncan Maina told the Global Times that "I initially worked as an electrical site engineer, responsible for on-site supervision. Later, I was promoted to project engineer and took charge of safety and environmental protection. I recently joined the project management team. I am very happy to have this job, which shows the Chinese company trusts and values Kenyan employees."
Another engineer in the team Vazira Dennis said, "This is my first job in the energy development field. With the help of my Chinese colleagues, I have learned a lot of technical knowledge and gained considerable project management experience. This will be very helpful for my future involvement in related work."
In the operation team at the Sosiyan Power Station, the ratio of Chinese employees to Kenyan employees is 1:1, and the proportion of foreign employees will gradually increase in the future, according to Li.
Kenya has laid out an ambitious Vision 2030 to generate 100 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2030, among which geothermal power accounts for 60 percent, according to Xinhua.
The country is committed to decarbonizing the national grid and accelerating progress toward achieving net-zero targets, guided by progressive regulatory and policy tools alongside targeted investments, Kenyan President William Ruto said at the launch ceremony of the Orpower 22 plant on October 24.
Currently, Kenya has only tapped 950 MW out of the country's 10,000-MW geothermal potential, the president revealed, stressing that Chinese investors are pivotal in the sustainable exploitation of this clean source of energy.
Starting from the Sosian geothermal plant, Chinese companies' cooperation with Kenyan partners have expanded far further to help foster comprehensive zero-carbon industrialization and directly benefit more people in the country.
At the ceremony of Orpower 22 plant, Kaishan also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), outlining their cooperation in the production of sustainable green ammonia and green fertilizers, according to Li.
Once completed and operational, the project will promote agricultural development in Kenya and East Africa, help reduce fertilizer imports, alleviate the financial burden of fertilizer subsidies on East African countries, and provide farmers with affordable, high-quality local green fertilizers, according to Xinhua.
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