KenGen and GreenFire to test closed-loop geothermal in Kenya
Olkaria II geothermal power plant (source: UNU)
Carlo Cariaga
3 Oct 2023
KenGen and GreenFire will be collaborating on an evaluation of the GreenLoop closed-loop geothermal technology at the Olkaria geothermal site in Kenya.
Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and GreenFire Energy Inc. (GreenFire) have announced a collaboration to assess GreenFire’s GreenLoop™ (“GreenLoop”) technology for implementation broadly in KenGen’s applicable geothermal resources. The agreement between the two parties was announced during the Geothermal Rising Conference in Reno, Nevada.
The collaboration will use GreenLoop technology to do a demonstration of one of KenGen’s wells in the Olkaria region which has a high temperature and low permeability. This collaboration underscores both companies’ commitment to using GreenFire Energy’s closed-loop technology to accelerate geothermal energy in the region.
The GreenLoop technology is currently undergoing testing at Baker Hughes’ Energy Innovation Center in Oklahoma City, with the aim of creating a first of its kind closed-loop geothermal laboratory in the world. This project is the focus of the Wells2Watts Geothermal Energy Consortium, of which GreenFire is also one of the members.
KenGen is the primary supplier of electricity in Kenya with a market share of more than 60% with 1,904 MW of generation capacity. The company supplies up to 80% of electricity in Kenya with 86% coming from renewable sources. KenGen currently generates 799MW from geothermal which is 85% of the country’s geothermal installed capacity and aims to produce over 50% of its power from geothermal energy by 2030.
GreenFire Energy has developed a versatile, closed-loop Advanced Geothermal System (AGS) called GreenLoop. GreenLoop can economically access the entire spectrum of geothermal resources that conventional geothermal technology cannot. The technology enables new and existing operators and developers to retrofit existing wells, to expand existing fields with new wells, and to develop new geothermal resources quickly and economically.
“The partnership between KenGen and GreenFire Energy will bolster our 100 percent transition to renewable energy by 2030 through the deployment of more geothermal energy in Kenya’s national grid. The GreenLoop technology will enable us to generate more clean and renewable electricity from geothermal,” said Eng Peter Njenga, KenGen, Managing Director and CEO.
“GreenFire Energy is honored to be working with KenGen, one of the largest producers of geothermal energy in the world. Our patented GreenFire’s GreenLoop™ technology has the unique capability to make wells with low permeability quickly scale-up geothermal power generation,” said Steven Brown, VP Project Development, GreenFire Energy. “We see our technology as one of the driving forces to help Kenya meet its goal of 100% clean energy by 2030.”
Source: Email correspondence
