The Geothermal Development Company has set up plans of setting up a geothermal-powered Menengai Industrial Park. These geothermal fields at Menengai possess a potential of becoming an industrial hub in the future years in Kenya. Other than powering production by the use of steam, the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is also seeking other additional uses for the steam at Menengai. GDC explored the fields for geothermal steam, drilled wells and also constructed steam gathering systems has already pointed out areas where the geothermal steam can be utilized which are inclusive of horticulture, fish farming, and also drying of grains.
The GDC has been conducting a test project for the Menengai Industrial Park which involved using heated water by geothermal energy to process milk, heating of the greenhouses, and also drying of grains like wheat and maize as well as the heated fish ponds at the site. The key purpose of this test project was to pave way for the potential investors by giving them a glimpse into energy savings they would get if they chose to set up shops in the geothermal rich area of Mengai.
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Menengai Industrial Park Facilities
According to GDC, Menengai Industrial Park would attract enough potential firms and they would also set up a complex that would be inclusive of dairy processors, horticulture farms, and also the area would foresee the establishment of an expansive geothermal resort and spa. All of these has started to take shape after the signing of an agreemet between GDC and Kasran Ramji, who are the manufacturers of Ndovu Cement.
The manufacturer shall build a factory at Menegai Industrial Park and utilize the steam so as to generate electric power for its operations as well as drying raw materials. In the deal, GDC shall supply the cement factory with steam and brine and the factory shall set up a generation unit that possesses a capacity of 4MW and a drying unit that shall be having a capacity of 700 tonnes in a single day. Around ten companies had shown interest in this plan by GDC but factors like the Covid-19 shuttered the plans.
