GreenLink Menengai: A Geothermal-Powered Power-to-Liquid Facility

<p><span>This paper presents the technical, economic, and regulatory foundations of the GreenLink Menengai Power‑to‑Liquid (PtL) Project, a proposed world‑scale synthetic fuels facility located within the Menengai Geothermal Development Complex in Nakuru County, Kenya. The project integrates baseload geothermal electricity, high‑temperature solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC), CO₂ capture from geothermal non‑condensable gases (NCGs), and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis to produce ultra‑low‑carbon Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), eDiesel, synthetic naphtha, and FT wax.</span></p> <p><span>The Menengai geothermal resource provides a unique behind‑the‑meter energy and heat profile, enabling an estimated Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) of USD 1.8–2.4/kg H₂ at 500 MW scale—significantly below the cost structure of grid‑connected PtL projects in Europe, North America, or the Middle East. This advantage is reinforced by on‑site CO₂ availability, high‑grade geothermal heat for SOEC integration, and a fully serviced 2,500‑acre industrial zone.</span></p> <p><span>The process design targets distillate‑rich FT selectivity, yielding approximately 40–55 wt% SAF, 25–35 wt% eDiesel, 10–15 wt% synthetic naphtha, and 5–10 wt% FT wax. Phase 1 deploys 500 MW SOEC capacity, scaling to 2,500 MW by 2035, with an expected output of ~1.3 million tonnes per year of synthetic fuels and chemical co‑products at full build‑out.</span></p> <p><span>The project is engineered to comply with ASTM D7566, ReFuelEU Aviation, EU RED III RFNBO, ICAO CORSIA, and the UK SAF Mandate, positioning it within the most favourable carbon‑intensity categories for global SAF markets. The paper also situates the project within the broader African critical‑minerals landscape—including niobium and rare‑earth deposits in Kenya and the DRC–Zambia Copperbelt—highlighting the potential for future regional supply chains supporting SOEC electrolyser materials and FT catalysts.</span></p> <p><span>The GreenLink Menengai PtL project demonstrates a replicable model for geothermal‑powered synthetic fuel production, offering a pathway for African economies to participate in the global hydrogen and e‑fuels market while contributing materially to international decarbonisation goals.</span></p>