The Olkaria III Geothermal Power Station, also known as 'OrPower 4' is a large geothermal power plant in Kenya, having an installed electricity generating capacity of 139 megawatts (186,000 hp).[1]
Location
The facility is located adjacent to Hell's Gate National Park, along with its sister stations, Olkaria I, Olkaria II, and Olkaria IV. This location lies in the Olkaria area, in Nakuru County, on the eastern edge of the Eastern Rift Valley, approximately 42.53 kilometres (26 mi), by road, southwest of Naivasha, the nearest large town.[2] Olkaria lies approximately 122 kilometres (76 mi), by road, northwest of Nairobi.[3] 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).[4]
History
The Olkaria III Power Station first started operation in 2000, running one Ormat power plant with a generation capacity of 13 megawatts (17,000 hp). In January 2009 new infrastructure was installed, adding another 35 megawatts (47,000 hp) to the plant's capacity. Later, 36 megawatts (48,000 hp) production capacity was installed. The third generation unit at Olkaria III, with capacity of 26 megawatts (35,000 hp) was commissioned in 2014, bringing total capacity at the plant to 110 megawatts (150,000 hp).[5] The fourth generation unit, with capacity of 26 megawatts (35,000 hp) was commissioned in 2016, bringing total capacity at the plant to 139 megawatts (186,000 hp).[6]
Ownership
Olkaria III Power Station is owned and operated by Ormat Technologies Inc., a Reno, Nevada registered company, with production facilities in Yavne, Israel. According to Kenyan print media, Ormat Technologies Inc. sold 503 gigawatt hours (GWh) to Kenya Power and Lighting Company, earning KES:3.89 billion (US$45 million), in the 12 months ending 30 June 2013.[7]
