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Direct Utilization of Geothermal Resources in Kenya

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Direct Utilization of Geothermal Resources in Kenya Proceedings World Geothermal Congress 2010 Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010 Direct Utilization of Geothermal Resources in Kenya John Lagat Kenya Electricity Generating Company Ltd, P. O. Box 785 Naivasha 20117 E-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Geothermal, direct use, balneology, space 38oE heating, greenhouses, agriculture, aquaculture, industrial North Island processes 4oN L. Turkana ETHIOPIA ABSTRACT Central Island Geothermal resources in Kenya are mainly located along the Kenyan Rift, which is part of the eastern arm of the South Island African Rift. The primary forms of utilization of Cenozoic Barrier Volcano geothermal energy in Kenya currently are mainly electric volcanics power generation (168 MWe) and direct uses (~18 MWt) to UGANDA Namarunu a small extent. Though about 99% of geothermal utilization in the country is generation of electricity, direct uses are Emuruangogolak gaining momentum in various parts of the country. Farmers Mt. Elgon Silali have for decades, used geothermal heat to dry pyrethrum Paka KENYA Korosi flowers and condense steam for drinking at Eburru while L. Baringo Nyambeni the Oserian Development Company in Naivasha is using Arus-Bogoria geothermal energy to heat 50 hectares of greenhouses of cut Kisumu Oo roses for export. A tourist hotel at Lake Bogoria is utilizing Menengai Mt. Kenya spring water at 38°C to heat a spa pool. Despite the Eburru availability and enormous potential in direct use L. Naivasha applications, little use has been made of low enthalpy fluids Olkaria Longonot in Kenya. This paper therefore discusses direct use Suswa applications and available opportunities in swimming, Ol'Esakut Nairobi bathing, balneology, agricultural, aquiculture and in Olorgesaille o residential and industrial sectors L. Magadi 2 S 0 50 100 150 Shombole Kilometers Chyulu 1. INTRODUCTION Ol'Doinyo Lengai The Kenya Rift Valley is part of the East African system Volcanic center Lake that extends from the gulf of Eden in the north to Beira, Kilimanjaro Mozambique in the south. The Kenya rift is the segment of Geothermal Prospect the eastern rift that extends from Lake Turkana to the lake Geothermal Field Natron northern Tanzania (Figure 1). It is part of a Rift Fault o 36oE 38 E continental divergent zone, a zone where spreading occurs resulting to the thinning of the crust hence eruption of lavas and associated volcanic activities including geothermal. Figure 1: Map of Kenya showing the locations of Geothermal activity is widespread in the entire rift as geothermal areas within the Kenya rift indicated by presence of strong thermal surface manifestations. They occur in form of fumaroles, hot Most direct use applications use geothermal fluids in the springs, altered grounds, silica sinter deposits and low-to-moderate temperature range between 50°C and anomalous boreholes. These manifestations indicate 150°C, and in general, the reservoir can be exploited by presence of an enormous geothermal energy resource conventional water well drilling equipment. Low- potential for both electric and non-electric or direct temperature systems are also more widespread than high- utilization in the rift. temperature systems (above 150°C) so, they are more likely to be located near potential users. Lindal, Gudmundsson et 2. DIRECT USE UTILIZATION al., (1985) assessed the potential use of geothermal water and steam in relation to their temperature (Figure 2) and Direct or non-electric utilization of geothermal energy from this figure it is clear that thermal waters with refers to the immediate use of the heat energy rather than to temperatures as low as 20-30˚C constitutes a useful energy its conversion to some other form such as electrical energy. resource. Discussed below are some direct use options that The primary forms of direct use that can be harnessed in can be applicable in Kenya. Kenya include swimming, bathing and balneology (therapeutic use), space heating and cooling, agriculture (mainly greenhouse heating and some animal husbandry), 2.1 Swimming, bathing and balneology aquaculture (mainly fish pond), industrial processes, and Romans, Chinese, Ottomans, Japanese and central heat pumps (for cooling). In general, the geothermal fluid Europeans have bathed in geothermal waters for centuries. temperatures required for direct heat use are lower than Both the Rift Valley's weather conditions and its attraction those for economic electric power generation. as a tourist spot, suggest the possible development of hot 1 Lagat spring areas for medicinal, recreational and tourism (2009) to heat fresh water through heat exchangers, enrich purposes (spas, swimming pools and saunas). CO2 levels and to fumigate the soils. The heated fresh water is then circulated through greenhouses (Plate 5 and 200 6). The advantage of using geothermal energy for heating is that it results in drastic reduction in operating costs. The 180 Refrigeration by ammonia absorption localities, which should be targeted for greenhouse heating, Digestion in paper pulp 160 Drying of fish meal CONVENTIONAL using geothermal, include the areas around Lake Naivasha M ELECTRIC A Ammonia via Bayer’s process and Lake Baringo. The spent water could also be cascaded E GENERATION T 140 Canning of foods and used for irrigation. S Evaporation in sugar refining D BINARY FLUID E 120 T Evaporation ELECTRIC 2.3 Aquaculture A Drying and curing of cement blocks R GENERATION U 100 Drying of agricultural products The use of geothermal energy for raising catfish, shrimp, T A Drying of stock fish tilapia, eels, and tropical fish has produced crops faster than S 80 Space heating (Buildings and greenhouses) by conventional heating. Using geothermal heat allows Cold storage better control of pond temperature, thus optimizing growth 60 Air conditioning R (Figure 3). Fish breeding has been successful in Japan, E Animal husbandry T China and the U.S, Freestone, D. H., (1995). The most A 40 Soil warming SPACE HEATING W important factors to consider are the quality of the water Swimming pools, de-icing WITH HEAT PUMPS T 20 O Fish farming and disease. If geothermal water is used directly, H concentrations of dissolved heavy metals (fluorides, 0 chlorides, arsenic, and boron) must be considered. Figure 2: The Lindal diagram after Gudmundsson et al, (1985) These uses are particularly developed in the Asia and in European countries, while they are not frequently exploited in the Africa, except for isolated cases of spas in Algeria, Addis Ethiopia and the occasional local uses of hot springs, without proper facilities in Kenya, Mwangi, M., (2000). A tourist hotel near Lake Bogoria is utilizing hot water from a nearby Loboi spring at 38ºC to heat a spar pool. The amount of energy saved is equivalent to 2.5 MWt, Mwawongo per com. (2009). These uses are feasible in Lake Bogoria (Plate 1) where a total of 437 MWt are lost in the area surrounding the Lake. Other feasible area include Lake Baringo where there was the famous Chepkoiyo blowout well (Plate 2) and at Kapedo (Plate 3). The Figure 3: Effect of temperature on animal and fish expansive area between Lake Bogoria (Plate 4) to the north growth (after Lund, 2000). and Nakuru to the south where anomalous borehole for domestic water have been encountered are also promising Fishing products and particularly, high protein content areas. At Olkaria and Eburru these developments can also algae, make up an alimentary resource of significant be realized utilizing the heat available as a by-product of nutritive value, which is still nowadays, neglected in the geothermal power generation to provide for hot water to the diets of a good part of the Kenyan population. The rapid residential houses and hotels around Lake Naivasha. These growing cycle and its production abundancy per unit area, developments if realized will enhance local and foreign make this resource critical in the battle against hunger. tourism hence boosting the economies of the local These high protein algae grow naturally in many of the population and the country at large. Kenyan lakes (Turkana, Baringo, Bogoria, Nakuru, Naivasha) and offer ideal feed for herbivorous fish, as well as directly providing for human consumption. Use of 2.2 Greenhouses geothermal to raise fish drastically reduces operations costs Numerous commercially marketable crops have been raised from energy saving due to fast growths and also fish will be in geothermally heated greenhouses in Hungary, Russia, available where there are no lakes or rivers in the vicinity. New Zealand, Japan, lceland, China and the U.S, Freestone, D. H., (1996). These include vegetables, such as 2.4 Residential heating or cooling and hot water supply cucumbers and tomatoes, flowers, houseplants and tree seedlings. Unlike those countries mentioned above which The largest potential use of geothermal energy is for have extreme climatic conditions part of the year, the geothermal heat pumps (GHP). The GHP is the highest Kenyan climate is more or less stable. The Naivasha area is efficiency heating and cooling system available, and would particularly suitable for the creation of a climatized provide much lower energy costs for the consumer and also environment, all year round, with optional temperature greatly reduce electric peak demand for the utility. In (heating and cooling), desired humidity conditions, and Kenya, the annual temperature ranges are not extreme and therefore GHP’s would be mainly used to cool and to a eventual addition of CO2 of geothermal origin, which stimulates the production of biomass. small extent heat residential houses in the cooler months of the year to provide for stable temperatures. Hot water A farmer at Oserian Development Company in Naivasha supplies can either be gotten from anomalous shallow who grows cut flower for export has taken a lead in this boreholes with temperatures over 60ºC common in the rift area and is utilizing steam from a 1.28 MW well with a and as a byproduct of used geothermal fluids.
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