Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is working out public-private partnerships aimed at establishing mobile wellhead power plants at its geothermal wells in Nakuru and Baringo counties to generate reliable and clean power at a cheaper rate.
Ideally, wellheads take the shape of a normal geothermal power plant, but in a smaller version. While a geothermal power plant is run by steam piped from tens of wells, a wellhead utilizes steam from just a single well.
Once the main plant is fully constructed, the wellheads are removed and moved to different stations so that steam from the wells can then feed into the main plant.
GDC Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mr. Paul Ngugi, said the generation of clean and reliable energy from well heads would translate into cheaper electricity tariffs for Kenyans and reliable power supply to industries.
“This concept will enable us to generate more power from each individual well. The technology reduces well redundancies and prevents well failures. It involves tapping steam from wells that are undergoing tests or awaiting connection to permanent plants. The technology not only helps to utilise the investment put into drilling the wells, which would otherwise be lying idle, but also yields benefits through early power generation,” noted the CEO.
“We are seeking flexible ways of generating electricity. GDC is now exploring ways of encouraging investments in modular and mobile power plants,” Mr. Ngugi said.
The CEO explained that geothermal well head units are quick to install and allow tapping of geothermal wells almost immediately after drilling, compared with the four to five years it takes to construct a conventional power plant.
“It takes a number of years to construct a single geothermal power plant because it has to be fed by steam from several wells, which are often drilled and left open for years awaiting completion of the main plant. We want to take advantage of single wells to generate power using the steam, which would otherwise have gone to waste while the main plant is being constructed,” said the managing director.
Addressing journalists in Nakuru, Mr. Ngugi observed that it costs more than Sh500,000 to drill a geothermal well, adding that when it remains idle, it takes a long time to recover the huge cost, notwithstanding that some of the money is borrowed at interest from financial institutions.
Wellhead technology is usually a short-term measure, and the wells that are used in the production of electricity are those undergoing testing or awaiting construction of permanent plants.
Wellhead power plants usually take about six months to construct, compared to the larger plants, which can take up to five years.
Mr. Ngugi noted that it takes a number of years to construct a single geothermal power plant because it has to be fed by steam from several wells, which are often drilled and left open for years awaiting completion of the main plant.
Once the central power plant is constructed, the wellhead plants are relocated to other areas in need.
According to the CEO, mobile well heads can generate power at a lower cost per megawatt and at a faster rate than standard geothermal projects.
Kenya’s demand for electricity is driven by recent rapid economic growth and industrialization, which has created the need to accelerate the drilling of geothermal wells to tap into the resource potential and avoid over-reliance on erratic hydroelectric power.
Mr. Ngugi indicated that due to climate change, persistent drought has reduced the capacity of hydroelectric dams, leading to reliance on costly diesel-powered generators and pushing up energy bills.
Wellhead Technology connects wells with outputs of up to 15 megawatts. The module also allows for a combination of wells using short streamlines instead of the traditional long lines, which are very costly and take much longer to construct.
The modules form clusters, which generate power through the conventional mode of steam-running turbines. The power is then directly fed into the grid.
Some of the advantages of Wellhead Technology, according to Mr. Ngugi, include immediate power supply to address its rising demand, reduced cost of power, and portability of the power plant, which taps into isolated and remote areas.
Other benefits are an early return on investment, as the technology has a significant advantage over the deployment of traditional power plants, enabling the early supply of electricity and access to revenues earlier in the investment cycle.
Mr. Ngugi stated that the technology also offers optimal energy utilisation as an independent well-head power plant, enabling optimum power to be produced from each individual well regardless of their differing outputs and characteristics.
“The wellhead modular design also makes it possible to generate electricity from remote wells that are outside the topographical reach of large traditional plants. Delivery of power online can be reduced to within 12 months of ordering the first wellhead generator power plant,” he added.
Geothermal energy is generated when super-hot steam from the earth’s crust is used to rotate turbines in power generators. The steam is ejected through drilled wells, sometimes up to more than three kilometres deep into the ground.
By Jane Ngugi and Dennis Rasto
