Olkaria Geothermal Steam Pipe Hacking Train
Course: ADVANCE VI
STUDIO
Year:
SPRING 2023
Instructor:
MIREIA LUZARRAGA
ALEJANDRO MUINO
Partners: CLAIRE KOH
CARLEY PASQUALOTTO
In the Eastern Region of Africa resides the Great Rift Valley, a 2,000-mile-long volcanic trench holds one of Africa’s biggest concentrations of wildlife. A mile away from The Great Rift Valley, a portion of this biodiverse landscape has found sanctuary in Hells Gate National Park which resides in Olkaria, Kenya. There are signs of geothermal activity everywhere: hot springs, steam vents, obsidian formations, extinct volcanoes, and volcanic plugs. Over 100 species of migratory birds, local flora and fauna, and the native Maasai community that reside there. The first power plant, Olkaria I, began construction in 1981 and there are now 6 Olkaria Geothermal Power Plants that reside in Hell’s Gate National Park that harness almost 1000 MW of energy and a 7th one currently in construction, making this the world's largest geothermal power plant in the world. But this green energy doesn't come without consequences.
1.Cosmogram2.Theatre of Operations
3.Little Info Book4.Time + Location Drawing5.Action Diagram6.Intermediate DrawingThis Geothermal Power Plant has had numerous effects on the environment: (1) AIR POLLUTION: The existing geothermal power stations in Olkaria operate by steam, gathering from the production wells. The steam runs turbines that produce the electrical energy, that is convert mechanical into electrical energy. The used steam is discharged as liquid water and vapor. The water vapor is harmless in the atmosphere, but associated with the steam are Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), which are greenhouse gases, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which can have health implications at high concentrations. (2) NOISE POLLUTION: During geothermal power development, noise is generated mainly from heavy equipment during drilling and construction, discharging of wells for testing, and electricity generation in the power plant. (3) ANIMAL ISSUE: The project lies within Hell’s Gate National Park and Olkaria Domes field. Both areas are environmentally significant for biodiversity conservation. The impact results from loss of habitat due to vegetation clearing and bush fires; loss of migratory corridors through installation of structures such as elevated steam pipes and power plants; use of fences to restrict animal movements. (4) IMPACT ON FLORA: Clearing of vegetation is inevitable to allow for construction of the required infrastructure. This can lead to disturbance of the significant ecosystem that provides the habitat, feeding and breeding grounds for fauna within the park. (5) PHYSICAL / VISUAL INTRUSION: Construction of the power plants and their associated infrastructure, which comprises the traversing steam gathering pipelines, transmission lines and road network, will affect the animal transpassing. (6) MAASAI RELOCATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES: Forced resettlement to make way for extractive industries has involved human rights abuses. In 2010, the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, Germany’s development bank, the French Development Agency and Japanese development financiers invested in the extension of the geothermal power plants I and IV which resulted in the resettlement of four indigenous Maasai villages. Noise from the geothermal power plant has forced settlements to be relocated as they will be exposed to levels above the acceptable limits. (7) WATER POLLUTION: Lake Naivasha is a Ramsar site of international ecological importance, from which the Olkaria Geothermal Project obtains its water for domestic and geothermal activities. The Olkaria IV and Olkaria I will require 2,500 m3 of fresh water for cooling towers at start-up for about three years. Additional water is required for drilling of geothermal wells, for household use at KenGen staff housing quarters, and for supply to local communities for their domestic and livestock use. This water is abstracted from a single source, the nearby Lake Naivasha. (8) OSERIAN FLOWER FARM: Oserian currently uses geothermal energy not only for electricity, but also for heating and humidity control of greenhouses in Oserian Flower Farm, and for enhancing growing performance by directly using the carbon dioxide present in the geothermal steam. (9) SOIL POLLUTIONS: Substantial quantities of brine from production wells are separated from the steam that is used to drive the turbines that generate electricity in the power plants. Brine is the main waste water from geothermal wells and power plants that, if improperly managed, can run over the surface and cause soil erosion and water / vegetation contamination.
7.Will Head Silencer/Water Condencer/Water Filtration8.Water Station/Pond/Animal & Bird PlaygroundThe Cosmogram (Image 1): This park is home to over 103 species of migratory birds, some both endangered and extinct, and numerous varieties of wildlife. However in this region, this continental drift is creating copious amounts of geothermal energy right below the soil of Olkaria and is being exploited by the government, irregardless of the proximity of conservation efforts and has led to habitat fragmentation, mass clearances of indigenous communities, and demolition of renowned landscapes. What was once known for its thriving landscapes, The Hell’s Gate National Park has now been turned into an industrial park, becoming more known for its geothermal capacities than valiant ecosystems that reside within its boundaries. Although KenGen, a government enterprise that owns and operates 70% of Kenya’s power plants, has a responsibility to counteract and mitigate the negative impacts caused to the environment, little has been done since the construction of the first geothermal power plant. There are 4 categories for the site: the Olkaria geothermal power plant, Hell’s Gate National Gate, Oserian Flower Farm, Lake Naivasha. Lake Naivasha is the main freshwater source in Olkaria and is now a cesspit for the pollution of geothermal brine waste. The Oserian Flower Farm which was once a proud family owned business has now partnered with KenGen to use the geothermal steam to produce over 380 million roses that could not be economically viable without the steam. Vast landscapes of vegetation for nearby ecosystems have been cleared to make way for geothermal pipes. Native East African pastoral communities, such as the Maasai, that have thrived in this region for many years have been displaced by KenGen to make way for power plants, forcing the Maasai community to leave their pastoral beliefs behind for survival. Experts say that The Great Rift Valley is capable of producing up to 10,000 MW of energy, enough to power 7.5 million homes, where The Olkaria Geothermal Power Plant will harness 1/5th of that energy and is on track to become the largest geothermal power plant to date.
9. Bird/Animal Feeder and Drinking Cart10.Bird/Animal/Landscape ObserverThe Theatre of Operations diagram (Image 2): Individual agents and their relationship with each other in depth. Similar to Cosmogram, it is broken down to several different components. The drawing is composed of agents placed on four different levels: local, regional, national and global starting from the very inner circle. Then the agents, composed of people, animals, plants, organizations, countries and concepts, are placed on the circle according to its scale. Then we drew our interventions, again, according to their scales. Time + Location Drawing (Image 4): Since geothermal potential was found in the 1950s,over 300 wells have been drilled to date both inside and around Hell’s Gate National Park to harness the geothermal energy underground. These wells are left open to the air for monitoring, allowing steam with traces of hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, boron, arsenic, mercury, and more to linger in the air. At certain ranges, these traces are dangerous to local wildlife and the community. Residents of Olkaria and fieldworkers of KenGen often complain of respiratory illnesses due to the air pollution from the geothermal steam. What is described to be a deafening 24-hour noise, these wells also produce immense amounts of noise pollution which seeps out and disturbs animal habitats and migratory patterns.
Action Diagram (Image 5): The geothermal steam is the major agent of the Olkaria development, and the medium through which the challenges and interventions will travel. The problems shown here are first: the noise and air pollution propagating from the wellheads during the process of extracting, monitoring and reinjecting the steam. The power plants are also responsible for these disruptions, but the sheer number of wellheads in the development makes these wellheads the primary source of disruption. The pipes that run along the entire park are responsible for habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, from clearing of vegetation and cutting of migratory and circulation paths for the animals.
Intermediate Drawing (Image 6): To target the challenges caused by these, we’re going to place our intervention in two different parts: one at the wellhead, and then the other four along the pipe. The permanent wellhead silencer + water filter will mitigate the noise created by the wellheads and will filter the steam and condense it to potable water. It will reduce the range of air and noise pollution that were eradicating the birds, vultures, and land animal species that hunt by sound. This would then widen the extent of undisturbed environments. And then the individual trains can provide a space of safe cohabitation for the agents affected by the development, allowing them physical corridors to freely travel through the site. On the right side you can see how these abstract relationships and programs can translate to the physical forms. This is a small part of the Olkaria development located near Well 907A showing potential placement and configurations of the intervention in relation to their surroundings.
11.Greenhouses/Kitchen/Bird Sanctuary Cart12.AXON
AXON (Image 12): Our steam hacking train is connected by chains and lockers, which can be assembled and disassembled to allow the trains flexibility and agency. Individual train carts can add up to become a long train or they can combine side by side to become a wider train to fit the situation where single pipes join together to make 2 side by side pipes. Consisting of five components, our intervention does its best to repurpose local construction materials from the Olkaria Geothermal Power Plants to create a sustainable and carbon neutral design. Covering the wells, the wellhead towers (Image 7) act as a noise silencer and steam filtration system. Right off the wellhead, the steam will first run through the sodium hydroxide to become sodium hydrogen and water through chemical reaction, of which the former can be stored and removed safely. The steam from the well rises up the tower and gets collected at the top of the structure. Gravity then allows the water to be filtered through seaweed-filled transparent inflatable bubbles. As the filtration process finalizes, the water runs through potted plants and is collected and stored in a central pond, leaving fresh drinking water for local animals. The portable water station (Image 8) stores the filtered water from the wellhead tower and carries it to be used among the other trains. It is a moving cart water oasis, functioning as a water playground and nesting area for land animals, a shading device for birds, and a portable water source along the pipe. When the train is stationary, small bridges open from the facade, mitigating physical barriers and allowing animals to cross safely.
The central train (Image 11) consists of a greenhouse, bird sanctuary, and an area to gather for steam cooking, providing a safe and meaningful space for gathering. Bird sanctuaries lie above the greenhouse and act as a space of nourishment and rest. The bird's excrements will then drop down to the greenhouse to fertilize the crops growing below. The train is flanked on both sides by carts for greenhouses that can grow native crops for the Maasai to nourish their community, and for the animals to enjoy as well. The green ramps coming down from the greenhouses to the ground will act as wildlife corridors connecting fragmented ecosystems. The central dome acts as a gathering space where the local community and the Maasai can use the crops grown in the greenhouse to hack the geothermal steam and cook meals for themselves and the community. Above the dome is a vulture sanctuary where endangered vultures can eat leftover raw meat that would provide a clean, uncontaminated food source for them. The wellness cart (Image 9) acts as a sanctuary space for animals and birds to nourish themselves via folding windows and hanging plates. The facade and roof both consist of plants for fauna to gather and eat. Steam water is filled in the hanging water fountains for birds and hanging lights on the roof act as a mechanism to attract birds and animals in the night time. The observation train (Image 10) allows humans to observe the vast land and species of Olkaria by having a high vantage point. Made from existing scaffolding structures recycled from the geothermal power plants, the structure supports hanging plants growing in the cart for local animals and people to eat. The facade and roof acts as a vertical garden, allowing local flora to grow by hacking the geothermal steam. Observatory will provide a safe method of transportation for the humans, and for them to interact with the wildlife without further disrupting the habitats or clearing of vegetation.
13.Section 14.Greenhouse/Kitchen/Bird Sanctuary Cart15.Will Head Silencer/Water Condencer/Water Filtration16.Bird.Animal Feeder and Drinking Cart17.Bird/Animal/Landscape Observer18.Water Station/Pond/Animal & Bird Playground
Section (Image 13): To combat habitat fragmentation and promote environmental justice, our design is strategically devised to live and move upon the existing and future expansions of the geothermal pipes, harnessing the energy that will be used to benefit the local ecosystems of Hell’s Gate National Park. The section shows the inside secrets of the geothermal steam hacking system and how our intervention is situated in the vast landscape of Olkaria. The existing geothermal pipes that are strategically carrying steam waste are drilled with holes at regular intervals where a valve is placed that connect and disconnect to the structure on demand, clipping into receiving pipes in the trains floor plates for easy access. Each design cart is chained together to form a longer system of continuous steam hacking programs such as steam kitchen and portable water station. It leaves traces of life as it leaves water flash and fall-over plants along where it moves. It will also disperse living trash from the steam kitchen and bird sanctuary into the near surroundings, creating a map of liveliness and recombination.
As the wells have excreted steam throughout the night, the wellhead towers have been able to convert enough steam into potable water to be consumed by the local ecosystems residing in the environment and stored at the water station for activities that will happen throughout the day (Image 15). As the water station departs from its basecamp, it begins its path along the pipes, stopping every so often to ensure local birds and animals have enough fresh water and allow animals to traverse safely across the industrial pipes (Image 18). The greenhouse strategically hacks the steam to remain set at a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the local crops, such as baby corn, pak choi, courgettes, and more are ready to be eaten during the gathering ceremony for the local Maasai Tribe (Image 14). After nourishing themselves, local community members plan to travel down the landscape to depart back to their homes, where they observe the vast Olkaria landscapes, interacting with local fauna who are feeding off of the facade (Image 17). As the local animals begin their nightly rituals, the wellness cart travels around the valley to ensure the environment and its ecosystems are well nourished, looking forward to interacting with these interventions the very next day (Image 16).
(Text written by Carly, Claire, and Yifei)