| Title | Technical, financial, economic, and environmental viability of a geothermal heated swimming pool and Spa Complex in Menengai, Kenya |
|---|---|
| Authors | Martin Pujol |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Menengai, Kenya, spa, geothermal, scaling, direct-use |
| Abstract | The Menengai geothermal field is located in the central segment of the Kenya rift valley and is hosted partly within a major Quaternary volcano. The Geothermal Development Company (GDC) has been developing the Menengai Geothermal Field since 2011 with the intention of supplying steam to 3x35 MW power plants as part of the first stage (105 MWe Phase one) of development. GDC developed the field, drilled more than 50 wells, and set up the steam-gathering system, which was concluded in December 2020. One of the power plant has been commissioned, and the other two are currently under construction with construction expected to be completed by February 2025. It is envisaged that the Menengai Geothermal System will supply direct-use projects in addition to electricity generation projects. In this presentation we will describe the detailed feasibility study completed to evaluate the technical, financial, economic, and environmental viability of a geothermal heated swimming pool and Spa Complex that is proposed. The site selection process will be described first. The spa facility is structured around the seven pillars of wellness and the project vision will be illustrated for the selected site by presenting the project masterplan. The process flow diagram for the facility will also be presented insisting on pragmatic approaches to mitigate silica scaling risk and maximise direct use of the geothermal energy to provide cooling requirements for example. Finally, the market assessment and the resulting financial model will be described. The study indicates that there is good potential for a viable project. |