Diesel power plants are vital for Kenya’s electricity generation by providing peaking capacity, grid stability and emergency electricity generation. Nonetheless, these heavy fuel plants are associated with relatively low thermal efficiency, high fuel consumption and a great contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. This project proposal aims to deliver a framework for a case-study based assessment that compares the performance of a cogeneration enabled diesel powerplant to that of a conventional diesel plant using Rabai Power and Kipevu III powerplant as examples and also framework that develops a practical waste-heat-recovery (WHR) solution for Kipevu III based on a basic Rankine bottoming cycle. The project will adopt a mixed engineering-analytical methodology. The comparative performance part will use plant operational records which will be obtained during site visits and heat-balance analysis to quantify thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption, recoverable heat streams among the key parameters. Operational emissions pollutants are to be estimated using fuel-based and stack measurement methods. Economic and environmental assessment will be made. The design section will convert recoverable exhaust heat into more electricity through a Rankine Cycle. The expected deliverables thus include a validated comparative performance analysis for the two plants, the heat-recovery potential and design of a Basic Rankine Cycle for Kipevu III, a techno-economic model that yields LCOE and investment metrics and an integrated recommendation on whether cogeneration retrofit is technically and economically justified for Kipevu III and thus by extension, other Kenyan diesel Plants.

Keywords

Specific Fuel Consumption, Waste Heat Recovery, LCOE, Payback Period.