State-owned energy and construction company PowerChina will build the 35-megawatt Orpower 22 geothermal plant at the Menengai Crater, with the facility owned by Chinese firm Kaishan Group, which is spending US$93 million on the construction.

During the ceremony, President William Ruto said the plant will raise the country’s global ranking in geothermal production to fifth overall, and “highlights our commitment to unlock Kenya’s vast geothermal potential to drive economic growth”.

“So far, we have tapped only 950MW, a small fraction of our geothermal potential of nearly 10,000MW, leaving immense opportunities still untapped,” he said.

Last year, PowerChina commissioned another 35MW geothermal power plant in Kenya, owned by Sosian Geothermal Power Station. It followed a 14-year contract between China’s Kaishan Group and Kenya’s Sosian Energy to run the geothermal plant before handing it back to Sosian after its investment has been recouped.