Kenya’s environmental regulator has invited public comments on a proposed large-scale green fertilizer and geothermal power project planned for Olkaria, Naivasha, as the country pushes to expand clean energy and climate-friendly industrial production.
- •National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) said it has received an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Report for the proposed Kaishan Terra Green Ammonia Limited (Kenya) 480,000-tonne-per-annum green fertilizer project and its associated geothermal power facilities.
- •The project, to be located in Olkaria, Nakuru County, will combine a green ammonia fertilizer plant with a 165.4-megawatt geothermal power generation system, drawing steam from existing geothermal wells in the Olkaria field.
- •Power generated will be used directly in fertilizer production, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting carbon emissions.
According to the EIA report, the power component will comprise a 147MW central power plant and a 17.4MW wellhead power plant, alongside auxiliary infrastructure including a high-voltage substation, transmission lines and steam pipelines linking the geothermal wells to the power and fertilizer plants.
The proposal also includes the construction of an 11kV to 220kV substation equipped with two 180MVA transformers, a service centre, a cooling water station and a high-purity water facility at the fertilizer plant. Electricity transmission infrastructure will include a 6-kilometre 220kV overhead line and a 4.5-kilometre 11kV line.
Nema said the EIA identifies a range of potential environmental and social impacts, particularly on wildlife, air quality, water resources, noise levels and community safety, given the project’s location near Hell’s Gate National Park.
