The Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Station is an operational geothermal power plant in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

, with installed capacity of .

Location

The power station is located 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, 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 ...

, approximately , southeast of

Nakuru Nakuru is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County, and was formerly the capital of Rift Valley Province. As of 2019, Nakuru had an urban and rural population of 570,674 inhabitants, making it the largest ...

, where the county headquarters are located. This is 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 h ...

, the capital and largest city of Kenya. The geographical coordinates of Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Station are 0°55'05.0"S, 36°20'04.0"E (Latitude:-0.918056; Longitude:36.334444).

Overview

The power station is one of six geothermal power plants currently either operational, under constriction or planned in the Olkaria area in Nakuru County, Kenya. Olkaria I, Olkaria II, Olkaria III and Olkaria IV are operational. Olkaria V is under construction and Olkaria VI is planned for 2021. Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Station was commissioned by

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

, the president of Kenya, on 22 October 2014. The power station cost KSh11.5 billion (US$126.5 million) to build, co-financed by the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...

, the Kenya government and the European Investment Bank. The electromechanical parts were supplied by

Hyundai Engineering Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (HDEC; ) is a major construction company in South Korea. The company was founded by Chung Ju-yung in 1947 as the Hyundai Civil Works Company and was a major component of the Hyundai Group. Hyund ...

of South Korea,

Toyota Tsusho is a sōgō shōsha (trading company), a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho has a worldwide presence through its many subsidiaries and operating divisions, including over 150 offices, and 900 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. ...

of Japan, and

KEC International KEC International Limited (Kamani Engineering Corporation) is an Indian multinational company and also India's second largest manufacturer of electric power transmission towers and one of the largest Power transmission, Engineering, Procureme ...

of India. A thousand Maasai people were relocated for the project in August 2014.

Ownership

Olkaria IV Power Station is owned by

Kenya Electricity Generating Company Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC abbreviated to KenGen, is a government enterprise in the Republic of Kenya charged with the production of electricity for the country. KenGen is the largest electric power producer in Kenya, generating ...

(KenGen), whose stock is traded on the

Nairobi Stock Exchange The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) was established in 1954 as the Nairobi Stock Exchange, based in Nairobi the capital of Kenya. It was a voluntary association of stockbrokers in the European community registered under the Societies Act in ...

, and is 70 per cent owned by the government of Kenya with the remaining 30 percent owned by private institutions and individuals.

References

{{reflist

External links

Website of Kenya Electricity Generating Company
2014 establishments in Kenya Geothermal power stations in Kenya Energy infrastructure completed in 2014 Nakuru County

Location

Overview

Ownership

See also

References

External links