Japhet Towett, Esther Njuguna and Bernard Rotich
Geothermal Development Company
Geothermal energy has its applications in electricity generation and direct utilizations in
Kenya. One of the direct utilization of geothermal energy is grain drying. GDC in collaboration
with Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA) set up a geothermal grain dryer at
Menengai Well Three (MW03) in November 2019. It dries grains such as maize, wheat, and
sorghum using warm or hot air to take away moisture from grains. The dryer operates with hot
air of between 40°C and 60°C for quality standards of the dried product to be attained. Thermal
energy usage by the dryer is analysed with the aim to advising on viable large scale options for
future investments. Financial evaluation of investing in geothermal-powered grain dryers will
also be done, where energy costs from other sources of energy such as fossil fuel, wood and
electricity are compared to geothermal energy. A competitive cost of drying using a geothermal
grain dryer and a revenue stream to GDC are the key aspects that are to be determined.
Agriculture is the mainstay of Kenya’s economy, directly contributing 24% of the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and 27% indirectly through linkages with manufacturing, distribution
and other related sectors. Areas that surround Menengai geothermal field has maize cultivation
as its main economic activity. The available geothermal resources can hence be used in primary
food processing such as grain drying using geothermal energy to reduce postharvest losses.
This paper evaluates investment of geothermal energy in grain drying and the associated
benefits.
Key words: Direct utilization, geothermal fluids, Grain dryer and Heat exchanger