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Geothermal Development Company staff work on one of the steam wells in Menengai, Nakuru County on November 11, 2014. [Joseph Kipsang, Standard] The geothermal fields at Menengai in Nakuru County could in the coming years emerge as an industrial hub. In addition to power production using geothermal steam, the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is looking at additional uses for the steam. The State-run company, which de-risked the fields by exploring for geothermal steam, drilled wells and built steam gathering systems has already identified areas where geothermal steam can be used, including horticulture, fish farming and grain drying. GDC has been running a demonstration project at Menengai, where it used water heated using geothermal for milk processing, heated greenhouses, and dry grains such as wheat and maize as well as heated fish ponds. The demonstration project was meant to give potential investors a glimpse into the energy savings they would make if they set up shop at Menengai. The manufacturer will set up a factory at Menengai and use steam to produce electricity to power its operations as well as to dry raw materials Eng Martha Mburu, GDC’s manager in charge of the direct use department, explained that there would be major savings for firms that would use geothermal steam for their heating processes. When pasteurising milk at the demonstration project, she noted that there were savings of up to 60 per cent when compared to ordinary methods using fossil fuels or grid electricity. The savings are across the different projects that the company has at the demonstration area. At the aqua pond, for example, the tilapia fish matured at six months compared to the nine months they ordinarily take in unheated ponds. The grain dryer showed that one can save up to 60 per cent of the grain drying costs. “We have a number of wells that are not suitable for electricity generation because the wellhead pressure is low. Most of the time, this well is not useful in electricity generation unless you connect a wellhead generator such that it generates on its own,” said Ms Mburu, explaining the rationale behind direct use. “In our case, we have the department of direct use, which is charged with ensuring that all wells not connected to the steam gathering system remain useful. At the demonstration project, we have been able to show how beneficial geothermal heat can be for process heating and the huge cost savings that companies can make. Here, we get hot water at 130 degrees Celsius – which would require a lot of fossil fuel to heat under normal circumstances.” https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/financial-standard/article/2001487489/gdc-to-set-up-a-geothermal-powered-industrial-park-at-menengai-fields#google_vignette
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This will be of great significant
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This is exciting news for both Kenyan industry and the environment! A greener future for Kenya is on the onset.
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Dear Kevin Your climate love has received over 50 agrees! We have reached out to Geothermal Development by email and requested a response. I will keep you updated on any progress! To reach more people and increase the chance of a response, click the Share button above to share the review on your social accounts. For every new member that joins We Don't Have Time from your network, we will plant a tree and attribute it to you! /Adam, We Don't Have Time
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This is a great initiative that will not only promote sustainable energy use but also create opportunities for industrial development.
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Good news, more clean energy for a better future 💚💚
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It's encouraging to see GDC taking initiative to establish a geothermal powered industrial park, making strides towards a green economy.👏💚
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Innovative uses for geothermal steam, from horticulture to fish farming. This just shows the vast potential of sustainable energy
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Kenya is a leading geothermal generator in the region and increasing that number works well with our climate goals
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@munene_mugambi looking forward to more clean energy in the future.
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Kinda promising
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Hope it has made progress since 2014 🤔🤔
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This is quite promising
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@johnte_ndeto Sure! Heading towards the right direction.
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@johnte_ndeto It's very promising.
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It's promising 👏.
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@princess_nel_268 💚💚👏