Verkís supports commissioning of 35 MW geothermal power plant in Kenya

Verkís has been involved in the development of a new 35 MW geothermal power plant at the Menengai geothermal field in Kenya, providing Owner’s Engineer services for the project. The plant is owned by Globeleq and Fuji Electric and is one of three independent power plants developed at the site.

Commissioning began in May

Commissioning of the power plant began in early May, with Verkís representatives on site to support testing and inspection of the plant’s turbine-generator unit. Þorleikur Jóhannesson of Verkís participated in the Performance Test process, which verifies that the equipment meets the performance requirements for which it was designed before final handover.

“After four days of testing, the initial operation of the turbine-generator unit was very promising,” Þorleikur said in a post from the project site.

An important milestone in a major energy project

The project is being developed by Globeleq, a leading African independent power producer involved in the development, financing, construction and operation of energy projects across Africa. The total project investment is approximately USD 117 million, with financing provided by, among others, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) and Finnfund.

As the Owner’s Engineer, Verkís has played a key role in the project, providing technical consultancy throughout its development to help ensure that the power plant is designed and constructed to the highest quality standards. Toyota Tsusho Corporation and its subsidiary CFAO Kenya were responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction of the power plant.

Part of Kenya’s renewable energy development

The Menengai geothermal field is one of Kenya’s major geothermal resources. Steam is supplied by the state-owned Geothermal Development Company (GDC), which is responsible for drilling and supplying steam to independent power producers (IPPs) that generate electricity for Kenya Power.

The project forms part of Kenya’s ambitious plans to achieve 100% renewable electricity generation by 2030.

International experience and Icelandic expertise

The project is another example of Verkís’ international work in geothermal energy, applying Icelandic expertise to the development of sustainable energy systems around the world.

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