29 Jun KENYA, OLKARIA I REACHES MILESTONE AS FIRST UNIT CONNECTS TO GRID
Naivasha, Kenya, June 2026
The rehabilitation of the Olkaria I geothermal power plant — a landmark project being delivered by Gesto in Kenya through its local company SGC — has reached a significant milestone, with the first upgraded generating unit successfully connected to the national grid and the overall programme progressing toward completion in 2026.
Unit 3 has now been synchronised with the grid and is operating steadily, while Units 1 and 2 are expected to follow in the coming weeks. This achievement marks the transition from construction to commissioning and commercial operation, bringing the project into its final phase. Once completed, the rehabilitation will increase the plant’s installed capacity from 45 MW to 63 MW through the replacement of the turbines and generators in Units 1, 2 and 3.
Gesto has been involved in the Olkaria I rehabilitation since 2016, supporting the project through all major stages of development. The company first led the concept design, technical specifications and preparation of tender and pre-qualification documentation. It then provided support during the procurement process, including bid evaluation, contract negotiations and contract award. Today, Gesto is playing a key role in the implementation phase, overseeing construction and commissioning activities.
Through its Kenyan subsidiary SGC, Gesto is currently providing owner’s engineering and construction supervision services on site, supporting the testing, energisation and commissioning of the upgraded units. This work builds on the multidisciplinary design review completed in late 2023, which brought together specialists from Kenya, Portugal, Italy and China to validate the project’s engineering solutions ahead of construction.
About the project
Commissioned in 1980, Olkaria I is Kenya’s first geothermal power plant and the oldest geothermal facility in Africa. After more than three decades of operation, plant owner KenGen launched a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to replace ageing equipment whose original components had become increasingly difficult to source and maintain. The facility was taken offline in 2023 to enable the upgrade works.
Once fully recommissioned, the modernised plant will deliver higher efficiency, improved reliability and increased generation capacity. The project will further strengthen Kenya’s position as a global leader in geothermal energy and contribute to the country’s ambition of achieving a fully clean electricity mix by 2030.
For Gesto, the successful grid connection of the first upgraded unit represents an important milestone in a decade-long commitment to the project and demonstrates the company’s ability to support complex geothermal developments from initial concept through to commissioning and operation.