From Wikipedia - Reading time: 4 min
| Gulf Energy Thermal Power Station | |
|---|---|
![]() Location of Gulf Energy Thermal Power Station in Kenya | |
| Country | Kenya |
| Location | Athi River |
| Coordinates | 01°27′30″S 37°00′14″E / 1.45833°S 37.00389°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | December 2014 |
| Owner | Gulf Energy Consortium' |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Heavy fuel oil |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 80.32 MW (107,710 hp) |
Gulf Energy Thermal Power Station, also Athi River Thermal Power Station, is an 80.32 MW (107,710 hp), heavy fuel oil-fired thermal power station in Kenya.[1]
This power station is one of about a dozen heavy fuel-fired power stations which offer the country backup capacity as standby plants that come on-line quickly, if and when geothermal and weather-dependent hydro-power fail to provide adequate supply to the national grid.[2]
The power station is located in the town of Athi River, approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) southeast of Nairobi, the capital and largest city of Kenya, along the Nairobi–Mombasa Road.[3]
The coordinates of the power station are 1°27'30.0"S, 37°00'14.0"E (Latitude:-1.458333; Longitude:37.003889).[4]
The power station is owned and operated by Gulf Power Limited (GPL), a special purpose vehicle company created to own and operate the business. GPL is in turn owned by a consortium of independent power developers, including Gulf Energy Limited and Noora Power Limited, two companies incorporated in Kenya.[1] In January 2019, Britam Holdings Limited, through its subsidiary, Britam Asset Managers Kenya Limited, acquired a stake in Gulf Energy Limited for a KSh1.4 billion (US$13.9 million) consideration.[5]
The power generated by this power station is sold to Kenya Power and Lighting Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement, which expires in December 2034.[5]
This power station received funding from several international financiers including as illustrated in the table below:[1][6]
| Rank | Name of Lender | Loan Amount ($ million) | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Finance Corporation | 21.7 | 19.38 |
| 2 | Standard Bank of South Africa | 21.7 | 19.38 |
| 3 | OPEC Fund for International Development | 31.6 | 28.21 |
| 4 | Gulf Power Limited | 37.0 (Equity) | 29.64 |
| Total | 112.00 | 100.00 |