Ormat Signed 20-Year Power Purchase Agreement for 36MW Expansion of Olkaria III Complex in Kenya

RENO, Nevada, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA) announced today that its subsidiary, OrPower 4, Inc., signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) amendment with Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited (KPLC) to purchase an additional 36 megawatts (MW) of clean energy output from a new power plant at the Olkaria complex.  The new plant will be constructed adjacent to the existing 48MW Olkaria III geothermal power plant near Lake Naivasha, Kenya. The new power plant is scheduled to come online in 2013.

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The PPA amendment includes an option to increase the combined 84MW capacity from the new and existing plants to up to 100 MWs subject to monitoring and assessment of the geothermal reservoir capacity. Ormat built the first 48 MW plant in three stages in parallel to the resource development, allowing the Company to advance revenue generation and long-term resource testing at commercial conditions.  The first stage commenced in August 2000 with 8MW and was developed as part of the initial appraisal of the Olkaria III reservoir. This was followed by commercial well drilling and construction of a second and third stage to reach the 48MW target capacity, which was achieved in January 2009.

"Gradual development of a geothermal resource reduces a number of risks as data is continuously refined while the process moves forward.  Using this phased approach, a power plant's final design and future drilling programs are based on reliable resource data derived from long-term and on-going operation of the geothermal wells at commercial conditions rather than the short term tests that are customary in the geothermal industry," said Dita Bronicki, Chief Executive Officer of Ormat.  "Ormat continues to believe in Kenya's economy and is proud to have the opportunity to expand Olkaria III by additional 36 MW.   Our accomplishments in Kenya have been achieved through the hard work and dedication of our plant's operation team that has consisted entirely of skilled local employees, managed by Eng. Ernest S. Mabwa, since the complex's earliest stages."

The first plant has been in continuous operation since 2000 and has achieved very high availability factors. Similar to the technology used in the existing plant, the new plant will utilize Ormat's air cooled technology, which does not consume any water.

About Ormat Technologies

Ormat Technologies, Inc. is the only vertically integrated company primarily engaged in the geothermal and recovered energy power business. The Company designs, develops, owns and operates geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants around the world. Additionally, the Company designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and recovered energy power units and other power-generating equipment, and provides related services. The Company has more than four decades of experience in the development of environmentally-sound power, primarily in geothermal and recovered-energy generation. Ormat products and systems are covered by 80 U.S. patents. Ormat has engineered and built power plants, that it currently owns or has supplied to utilities and developers worldwide, totaling approximately 1370 MW of gross capacity.  Ormat's current generating portfolio includes the following geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants: in the United States - Brady, Brawley, Heber, Jersey Valley, Mammoth, Ormesa, Puna, Steamboat, OREG 1, OREG 2, OREG 3 and OREG 4; in Guatemala - Zunil and Amatitlan; in Kenya – Olkaria III; and, in Nicaragua - Momotombo.

Ormat's Safe Harbor Statement

Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to Ormat's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations and are based upon its management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see "Risk Factors" as described in Ormat Technologies, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2011.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Ormat Technologies, Inc.