Kenya’s environmental watchdog NEMA has put a spotlight on a proposed mega green fertiliser project in Olkaria, Naivasha, inviting the public to weigh in as the country doubles down on clean energy and low-carbon manufacturing.
The National Environment Management Authority has confirmed it received an Environmental Impact Assessment study for the planned Kaishan Terra Green Ammonia Limited venture, a 480,000-tonne-a-year fertiliser plant tied to its own geothermal power facilities. The development, earmarked for Olkaria in Nakuru County, pairs a green ammonia factory with a 165.4-megawatt geothermal power system that will tap steam from existing wells in the Olkaria field.
All the electricity generated will be fed straight into fertiliser production, trimming dependence on fossil fuels and sharply cutting emissions. Under the plans outlined in the EIA, the energy side will include a 147MW central power station and a 17.4MW wellhead plant, supported by high-voltage substations, transmission lines and steam pipelines linking the wells to both the power and fertiliser units.
The wider build-out also covers an 11kV to 220kV substation fitted with two 180MVA transformers, a service centre, a cooling water facility and a high-purity water plant at the fertiliser site. On the grid side, the project proposes a 6-kilometre 220kV overhead line and a 4.5-kilometre 11kV line.
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NEMA says the assessment flags a variety of environmental and social risks, ranging from effects on wildlife and air quality to impacts on water resources, noise and community safety. Those concerns carry extra weight given the project’s proximity to Hell’s Gate National Park, making the public consultation a rather serious affair rather than a box-ticking exercise.
