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KenGen Risks Losing Olkaria Geothermal Wells Over Licence Error

KenGen Risks Losing Olkaria Wells Over 18-Year Licence Blunder Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) faces a serious legal and operational risk at Olkaria after an error in the coordinates of its geothermal licence left part of the company’s wells, steam infrastructure and other assets outside its legally recognised area. The licensing mistake, made nearly two decades ago, remains unresolved despite the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum acknowledging the problem in 2017.  The dispute has raised questions about the security of KenGen’s investments, the government’s management of geothermal resources and the potential consequences for Kenya’s electricity supply. Olkaria is the country’s most important geothermal centre and accounts for the overwhelming majority of Kenya’s installed geothermal generation capacity.  Licence Error Exposes Strategic Assets The problem dates back to September 19, 2008, when the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum issued KenGen a licence covering ...

Poland Leads the Charge to a Sustainable Future with Industria's Partnership with Rolls-Royce SMR for Green Energy

Rolls-Royce SMR and Polish company Industria have joined forces to revolutionize the country's energy infrastructure with the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs).

Alan Woods, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Director of Strategy and Business Development, left, and Szczepan Ruman, CEO of Industria (Image: Rolls-Royce SMR)

Industria, part of the state-owned Industrial Development Agency JSC (IDA), has chosen Rolls-Royce SMR for the Central Hydrogen Cluster with the aim to produce 50,000 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen annually. With the potential of "up to three" SMRs and the possibility of replacing over 8GW of coal-fired power plants, this collaboration has the power to shape a sustainable future for Poland.

Tom Samson, CEO of Rolls-Royce SMR, said this partnership has "enormous potential" and could support thousands of high-skilled jobs in both Poland and the UK. 

Meanwhile, President of the Board of IDA, Cezariusz Lesisz, sees this as a "great opportunity" to build new competencies in the Polish industry and support the country's energy security and resilience.


Szczepan Ruman, CEO of Industria, says participating in the supply chain of parts and modules for Rolls-Royce SMR is a "great opportunity" for the region and industry in southern Poland. With the support of IDA Group, Ruman aims to secure Polish industry's strong participation in the SMR industry of the future and secure clean energy sources for the grid, industry, and clean hydrogen production.


Poland is in the midst of a major shift towards nuclear energy as part of its decarbonization efforts, with initiatives to bring SMRs to the country at various stages of progress. The Rolls-Royce SMR, with a 470 MWe design based on a small pressurized water reactor, is expected to become operational in the UK by the end of the decade. With this new collaboration, the future of energy in Poland looks bright, clean, and sustainable.

SMR

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that are designed to generate clean and sustainable energy. Unlike conventional large nuclear power plants, SMRs are much smaller in size, making them more cost-effective, scalable, and safer. They are also able to operate on a variety of fuel types, including low-enriched uranium, thorium, and recycled fuel, which helps reduce the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation.

 SMRs use nuclear reactions to heat water, producing steam that drives a turbine to generate electricity. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear reactions produce very little greenhouse gas emissions and have a much lower impact on the environment. The technology also enables the generation of electricity at a constant rate, providing a reliable source of energy that is not subject to the fluctuations of wind or solar power.

Furthermore, SMRs have a much smaller footprint compared to traditional nuclear power plants, making them ideal for deployment in areas with limited space or challenging environmental conditions. This, in turn, helps reduce the impact on local communities and wildlife, making SMRs a much greener alternative to traditional energy sources.

Overall, the small modular reactor technology has the potential to play a significant role in the transition to a low-carbon energy future. By providing clean, reliable, and scalable energy, SMRs can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy security, and promote sustainable development.

To find out how a Rolls Royce SMR plant looks like and parts of a SMR kindly go through our earlier article here: https://alphaxioms.blogspot.com/2023/02/rolls-royce-and-czech-republic-join.html

source:(https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Poland-s-Industria-selects-Rolls-Royce-SMR-for-hyd)

#Poland #SustainableFuture #RollRoyce #SMR

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