Numerical Modeling of Thermal Discharge of Lamu Power Plant, Kenya

Kenya is located in the eastern Africa. Currently, among 35 million people in Kenya, there are only about 5 million people can use electricity. The problem in power shortage is serious. Kenya Lamu Power Co., Ltd. plans to construct Kenya Lamu3x350MW (supercritical) Independent Power Station Project in LAMU Region. The power plant uses seawater as cooling medium. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the power plant and the effect of drainage thermal discharge on surrounding water area, a 2D and 3D numerical models of tidal currents and thermal discharge are established and the thermal discharge of two drainage schemes are simulated. The research results show that the influencing area of temperature rise in open channel drainage scheme are larger than that in pipe drainage and the temperature rise in water intake in pipe drainage scheme is larger than that in open channel drainage.