Renewables Based Power generation for Kenya Pipeline Company

• Main Author: Washika, Tony
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Kraft- och värmeteknologi 2011
• Subjects: Solar Photovolltaic; Wind turbine; Hybrid; Renewable energy system; Levelized cost of energy
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-131315

This study presents a Techno-economic assessment of a renewables based power generation project for PS 21, a Pumping Station for Kenya Pipeline Company located in Nairobi, Kenya. The load for the pumping station is 1135 kW Continuous. The assessment criteria used was levelized cost of energy. The hybrid renewable energy system software HOMER was used for assessment, and modeling was done using hourly TMY data for solar irradiance and wind.  According to the results, Hybrid Solar PV-Wind- Battery renewable energy systems can supply adequate power for pumping station purposes. Optimization modeling at 2010 prices gave a levelized cost of energy of $0.2 per kWh for the most optimal solution which consisted of 2 No. 1650 kW Vestas V 82 Wind Turbines and 4070 kW of PV modules. This cost of energy just matches the purchase price from the National grid which varies between $0.14 and $0.2 per kWh, and therefore, the project is economically feasible. Mainly due to concerns of global warming, the view in the Kenyan government and society towards renewable energy is very favorable and  the project is also politically and socially feasible.   Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that wind energy is more viable than solar PV energy in areas of high wind speeds, with about 7.5 m/s annual average wind speeds.   The results show that the levelised cost of energy may be significantly decreased in future due to the fact that the cost of PV modules is progressively reducing. Payments for CERs under CDM mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol would lower the levelised cost of energy further. The Project was found to be feasible. === <p>I was a distance student and did the presentation online via centra.</p>