- Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) plans to commence commercial operations in August 2021 of its 5MW geothermal power plant, the Aluto Langano Geothermal Wellhead Power System.
To achieve commercialisation, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (ESS), along with, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Turkish engineering company Egesim Energy Electro-Mechanic Construction Contracting, has received an order of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for Aluto Langano Geothermal Wellhead Power System in central Ethiopia.
Geothermal wellhead order outlined
Toshiba ESS will be in charge of supplying the steam turbine and the generator. This project will proceed under the Grant Aid scheme of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Toshiba ESS will deliver its small-scale geothermal power generation system at this power plant.
The small-scale geothermal wellhead power generation system that has been developed by Toshiba ESS generates power from geothermal resources with outputs ranging from 1MW to 20MW.
Capable of being installed within a short period for early operation, it is a portable power generation system that can effectively utilise a small number of drilled wells.
The Ethiopian energy landscape
Ethiopia is Africa’s second-most populous nation with a population of over 100 million. Although the country is growing economically, its electrification rate stands at 30% and the country, therefore, faces the need to increase its power facilities. Ethiopia possesses an equivalent of roughly 10,000MW of geothermal potential resources and where plans are in place to develop new geothermal power plants totalling a capacity of roughly 2,500MW by the year 2030.
Toyoaki Fujita, Business Development Executive at Toshiba ESS, said: “We are extremely proud to receive this facilities order, which is our first in Ethiopia for power plant. We have signed a memorandum of understanding on a comprehensive partnership in geothermal power with EEP in September 2014. Based on this MOU, we have been supporting them on human resources development activities such as training some of their executives and managers at our company utilising various Japanese government support programmes.
He added: “When the Prime Minister of Ethiopia came to Japan in August 2019, he visited our Keihin Product Operations to see our manufacturing technology of geothermal power. Going forward we will maintain ongoing initiatives in human resources development and contribute to the development of geothermal power generation in Ethiopia.”
The Ethio-Japan Busines and Investment Forum (August 2019) was hosted by the Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy of the Federal Democratic of Ethiopia.
Project boilerplate
Name of Project: Aluto Langano Geothermal Wellhead Power System
Owner: Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP)
EPC Contractor: Toyota Tsusho Corporation
Location: Aluto Langano, East Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Supplied by Toshiba ESS: 1 set of 5 MW class steam turbine and generator for small scale geothermal power generation
Planned start date of commercial operation: August 2021.
Author: Guest Contributor
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
Geothermal energy will be a hot topic at the African Utility Week & POWERGEN Africa conference and exhibition taking place 12-14 May 2002 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa.
