The Olkaria III Geothermal Power Station, also known as 'OrPower 4' is a large
geothermal power
Geothermal power is electrical power generated from geothermal energy. Technologies in use include dry steam power stations, flash steam power stations and binary cycle power stations. Geothermal electricity generation is currently used in 2 ...
plant in
Kenya
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, having an installed electricity generating capacity of .
Location
The facility is located adjacent to
Hell's Gate National Park
Hell's Gate National Park lies south of Lake Naivasha in Kenya, north west of Nairobi. Hell's Gate National Park is named after a narrow break in the cliffs, once a tributary of a prehistoric lake that fed early humans in the Rift Valley. It wa ...
, along with its sister stations,
Olkaria I,
Olkaria II, and
Olkaria IV. This location lies in the
Olkaria
The Olkaria Area is a region located immediately to the south of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, Africa. It is geothermally active and is being used to generate clean electric power. The region has an estimated potential of 2,000 ...
area, in
Nakuru County
Nakuru County is a county in Kenya. It is County number 32 out of the 47 Kenyan Counties. Nakuru County is a host to Kenya's Forth City – Nakuru City. On 1 December 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta awarded a City Charter status to Nakuru, ranki ...
, on the eastern edge of the
Eastern Rift Valley
The Gregory Rift is the eastern branch of the East African Rift fracture system. The rift is being caused by the separation of the Somali plate from the Nubian plate, driven by a thermal plume. Although the term is sometimes used in the narrow s ...
, approximately , by road, southwest of
Naivasha, the nearest large town. Olkaria lies approximately , by road, northwest of
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
. The geographical coordinates of Olkaria III Geothermal Power Station are 0°53'27.0"S, 36°17'21.0"E (Latitude:-0.890833; Longitude:36.289167).
History
The Olkaria III Power Station first started operation in 2000, running one
Ormat
Ormat Technologies, Inc. is an international company based in Reno, Nevada, United States. Ormat supplies alternative and renewable geothermal energy technology. The company has built over 190 power plants and installed over 3,200 MW. As of J ...
power plant with a generation capacity of . In January 2009 new infrastructure was installed, adding another to the plant's capacity. Later, production capacity was installed. The third generation unit at Olkaria III, with capacity of was commissioned in 2014, bringing total capacity at the plant to . The fourth generation unit, with capacity of was commissioned in 2016, bringing total capacity at the plant to .
Ownership
Olkaria III Power Station is owned and operated by
Ormat Technologies Inc., a
Reno
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
registered company, with production facilities in
Yavne
Yavne ( he, יַבְנֶה) or Yavneh is a city in the Central District of Israel. In many English translations of the Bible, it is known as Jabneh . During Greco-Roman times, it was known as Jamnia ( grc, Ἰαμνία ''Iamníā''; la, Iamnia) ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. According to Kenyan print media, Ormat Technologies Inc. sold 503 gigawatt hours (GWh) to
Kenya Power and Lighting Company
Kenya Power and Lighting Company, commonly referred to as Kenya Power or shortened KPLC, is a public liability company which transmits, distributes and retails electricity to customers throughout Kenya.
Location
KPLC headquarters are at Stima P ...
, earning KES:3.89 billion (US$45 million), in the 12 months ending 30 June 2013.
See also
*
List of power stations in Kenya
The following page lists power stations in Kenya.
Geothermal
Hydroelectric
Fossil fuels: oil, coal, and gas
Wind
Solar
See also
* Energy in Kenya
* List of largest power stations in the world
* List of power stations in A ...
*
Geothermal power in Kenya
Geothermal power is very cost-effective in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, East Africa. , Kenya has 690 MW of installed geothermal capacity. Kenya was the first African country to build geothermal energy sources. The Kenya Electricity Generating ...
*
Olkaria I Geothermal Power Station
The Olkaria I Geothermal Power Station, also known as Olkaria I Geothermal Power Plant is a geothermal power station in Kenya, with an installed capacity of .
Location
The facility is located in the Hell's Gate National Park along with its si ...
*
Olkaria II Geothermal Power Station
The Olkaria II Geothermal Power Station also known as Olkaria II Geothermal Power Plant is a geothermal power plant in Kenya, with installed electric generating capacity of
Location
The facility is located in the Olkaria area, adjacent to Hell' ...
*
Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Station
The Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Station is an operational geothermal power plant in Kenya, with installed capacity of .
Location
The power station is located in the Olkaria area, in Nakuru County, adjacent to Hell's Gate National Park, approxi ...
*
Olkaria V Geothermal Power Station
The Olkaria V Geothermal Power Station, also known as the Olkaria V Geothermal Power Plant is a power station in Kenya, with an electric capacity of .
Location
The power station is located in the Olkaria area, in Hell's Gate National Park, in N ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Website of Ormat Technologies, Inc.
Nakuru County
Geothermal power stations in Kenya
Energy infrastructure completed in 2016
2016 establishments in Kenya