Olkaria III Geothermal Power Station
Introduction The '''Olkaria III Geothermal Power Station''', also known as 'OrPower 4' is a large geothermal power plant in Kenya, having an installed electricity generating capacity of .
Location The facility is located adjacent to Hell's Gate National Park, along with its sister stations, Olkaria I, Olkaria II, and Olkaria IV. This location lies in the Olkaria area, in Nakuru County, on the eastern edge of the Eastern Rift Valley, approximately , by road, southwest of Naivasha, the nearest large town. Olkaria lies approximately , by road, northwest of Nairobi. The geographical coordinates of Olkaria III Geothermal Power Station are 0°53'27.0"S, 36°17'21.0"E (Latitude:-0.890833; Longitude:36.289167).
History The Olkaria III Power Station first started operation in 2000, running one Ormat power plant with a generation capacity of . In January 2009 new infrastructure was installed, adding another  to the plant's capacity. Later,  production capacity was installed. The third generation unit at Olkaria III, with capacity of  was commissioned in 2014, bringing total capacity at the plant to . The fourth generation unit, with capacity of  was commissioned in 2016, bringing total capacity at the plant to .
Ownership Olkaria III Power Station is owned and operated by Ormat Technologies Inc., a Reno, Nevada registered company, with production facilities in Yavne, Israel. According to Kenyan print media, Ormat Technologies Inc. sold 503 gigawatt hours (GWh) to Kenya Power and Lighting Company, earning KES:3.89 billion (US$45 million), in the 12 months ending 30 June 2013.
See also *List of power stations in Kenya *Geothermal power in Kenya*Olkaria I Geothermal Power Station*Olkaria II Geothermal Power Station*Olkaria IV Geothermal Power Station*Olkaria V Geothermal Power Station
References
External links * Website of Ormat Technologies, Inc.