Turkana Geothermal Power Station
The Turkana Geothermal Power Station is a geothermal power station under development in Kenya.
Location
The power station would be located in the Suguta Valley, Turkana County, in the semi-arid north-western Kenya, immediately south of Lake Turkana. This location is near the settlement of Katilia, approximately, by road, south-east of Lodwar, where the county headquarters are located. This location is approximately, by road, north-northwest of Nairobi, Kenya's capital and largest city.Overview
Reconnaissance surveys by a team from the British Geological Survey indicated the occurrence of a hydro-thermal system in the project area. In 2011, further surface studies revealed a high-temperature resource area covering, with sub-surface temperatures of about and an estimated potential to generate up to 1GW of base load geothermal electricity.Olsuswa Energy Limited, a locally registered company plans to develop this power station, starting with a 70 megawatt power station, which is expected to expand to 140 megawatts, over a five to eight-year period. The electricity generated is expected to be interrelated into the national electricity grid.
In April 2018, Olsuswa Energy Limited signed a memorandum of understanding with the Turkana County government in the presence of the elected leaders of the community and the public. The development is expected to bring jobs and improved living standards of the residents.