MAXIMIZING GEOTHERMAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENT WILL FASTRACK VISION 2030

Energy is a key driver of socioeconomic development. The country’s development blue print identifies energy as one of the foundations needed to drive industrialization.  

Energy drives key sectors of the economy including industries, transport, mining and agriculture. These sectors are adversely affected by the prevalent unreliable power sources and there is need to assure affordable, reliable and adequate energy for sustainable development. Another concern is environmentally friendly energy sources to mitigate the threat of CO₂ pollution.

For a long time, the country has been dependent on fossil fuels whose prices keep soaring, more so in the recent past, subsequently increasing the cost of production which results in high prices of commodities making lives almost unbearable for the common mwananchi.

Kenya’s current power generation is 1,533 MW, 13% of this is from geothermal. Hydropower contributes almost half of the country’s energy needs but is vulnerable to unpredictable weather conditions arising from the global climate change.

The demand for power is ever rising and it is predicted to reach up to 15,000 MW by 2030, this will require a capacity of 17,500MW to meet the demand. Out of a potential of 7,000MW, only about 198 MW of geothermal energy has been utilized for power generation.  Under the Least Cost Power Development Plan, the country expects to generate up to 5,000MW geothermal energy and achieve 100% rural electrification by 2030.

Geothermal energy is reliable and unlike other renewable energy sources like solar and wind, it is not anchored on the weather. Geothermal is one of the most economical electricity generation options; the annualized cost of electricity for geothermal is lower than of other alternatives.  This form of energy also has a high utilization (about 95%) and conversion rate of up to 90% as compared to other renewable energy sources.

By promoting the development of geothermal energy, the country will reduce its overreliance of fossil fuels and hydropower, as well as benefit by earning carbon credits through reducing green house gas emissions common from fossil fuels based energy sources. Geothermal energy can be used in green house heating, electricity sources in aquaculture and in industries.

The International Geothermal Association reports increased installation capacity of geothermal energy over the past 5 years. It is encouraging to note that Kenya is leading in a project by the World Bank to scale up renewable energy programs in low income countries and that a 400MW geothermal power projection is one of the projects earmarked for implementation. This is purported to be Africa’s biggest geothermal power project so far.

Just last month, a new 280 MW geothermal project was commissioned by the President at Olkaria power station to increase the capacity of this geothermal site to 430 MW. This are steps in the right direction since geothermal energy development would overly enhance the attainment of energy goals set out in Vision 2030.

Kenya’s Rift valley region offers suitable site for exploration owing to its historic volcanic activity and makes it possible to extract trapped heat to generate electricity. There are about 14 potential geothermal sites along the Kenyan Rift Valley with an estimated potential of more than 15,000 MW as indicated by the Geothermal Development Company.  Other locations in Nyanza and the Coast are also been explored.

The global trend is towards cheaper and cleaner energy sources and we must adopt better technologies used by other countries. I believe we can learn a lot from a country like Egypt which has a total installed renewable energy capacity of 3,417 MW and ranked first in Africa by the International Energy Association.   There is also need for research into more cost effective means of exploration to reduce the high risks associated with development of geothermal sites.  Increased investment from private sector and other development partners will likewise advance geothermal development.  Continuous capacity building in geothermal energy production as well as other renewable energy sources is also very important.

Promoting geothermal energy development will also improve energy security and create employment opportunities.  Together with geothermal energy, we also need to promote the development of other renewable energy sources like solar and wind, with emphasis on their viability; for instance solar energy is more viable in the North Eastern region and its use must be promoted. The overarching goal must be to create synergy between the different renewable energy sources for sustainable development of the energy sector and ultimately achieve 100% renewable energy mix.

HARNESSING ST&I FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN LAKE VICTORIA BASIN

This month the Lake Victoria Basin held their 3^rd  conference under the theme Harnessing Research for Sustainable Development of the Lake Victoria Basin. I presented a keynote on Harnessing ST&I for Sustainable Development in Lake Victoria Basin. Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) are recognized globally as key driver of economic development. Technological innovation is key in turning scientific and technological knowledge into goods and services to boost economic development. There is need to integrate ST&I in production and service sectors.

I advocate for effective system for innovation, technology adoption, diffusion and transfer for use of ST&I as a tool for national development and international competitiveness.

The East African Community (EAC) must harnesses science, technology and innovation, these nations will be at a greater position to foster national prosperity and global competitiveness. This will therefore boost creation of wealth creation and achievement of a high quality of life for its people within its boundaries.

For example, ST&I have made our lives easier through the use of medical supplies and other things, such as cellphones. We are also reaping the benefits of computers right now by finding the answer to our question. A science such as seismology (the study of earthquakes) has helped us to know when an earthquake is coming and where would be a safe place to escape to. It can also help to build more earthquake-resistant buildings by studying how the waves move and how to counteract them to avoid destruction. There is also need to identify and subsequently review research and innovation priority areas for the benefit of the region.

Strategies that should be enforced includes Public Private Partnerships. This will give a variation of Privatization in which elements of a service previously run solely by the public sector are provided through a partnership between the government and one or more private sector companies. Enough resources should be allocated to ST&I sector. I have been advocating for not less than 1% of GDP.

Climate change, biodiversity loss of freshwater ecosystems, invasion by Hyacinth, diseases & malnutrition, human resource capacity and weak national innovation systems are some of the major challenges that the Lake Victoria Basin is facing.

To curb these challenges, a number of strategies have been put into place which includes; developing explicit national innovation policies and investment frameworks in R&D, increasing and sustaining funding on ST&I for competitiveness, setting up centers of excellence to strengthen R&D capacity, increasing investment in science, engineering and entrepreneur skills and Capacity building.

Within the Lake Victoria Basin, there is need for utilizing new technologies such as remote-sensing and satellite technology to monitor and manage water resources. Low cost technologies for water delivery can also be implemented and an adverse investment in Human resources development by the EAC.

There is need of enhancing Multi-stakeholders initiatives to deliver programs and services in the region. Building trust and confidence in capability and capacities to provide long-lasting benefits to the local community both from social perspective and from economic development angle

It is also important to establish more learning and dialogue platforms for communication and outreach impact. Above all continuous dialogue between Scientists and Policy makers must be initiated.

Moreover, recognized institutional frameworks for diverse actors and stakeholders engaged in pursuit of sustainable development in finance, trade, technology transfer, as mutually agreed

SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT

 TO SOCIETY

Science has gained national importance because of its pivotal role in the social and economic development of the society. Among the many sciences of importance is space science and its associated technologies. Although space science is as old as history itself, it has nevertheless remained one of the most mystifying sciences to the common man. In his quest to understand space and heavenly bodies within it, man has sent rockets to the moon and finally he has stationed satellites in space.

The exponential growth of scientific knowledge and continuing developments in technology are transforming society. Our lives and future depend profoundly on our understanding of planet Earth. Space technology enables us to observe possible threats to life on Earth and has tools at hand to help inhibit them. Knowledge about space, gained through scientific studies can have enormous economic and social benefits that contribute to meeting many societal needs, from human security to sustainable development.

Space Science and Technology has been applied globally for the benefit of society in areas such as communications, meteorology, surveys and mapping, as well as exploitation and management of the natural resources. Today all parts of the world are being united by communication satellites while space based sensor systems are continually monitoring the globe.  These technologies are providing the support needed for the development activities.

The application of space science worldwide has rapidly improved the procedures employed in land resources and environmental management. Through remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS), it is possible to observe the earth's surface from space crafts and conduct computer analysis of large volumes of data. Satellite observations under Global Positioning System (GPS) have greatly improved the process of obtaining point positions and establishing survey control points and networks. Telecommunication and broadcast services have improved tremendously due to the construction of space communication satellites and satellite earth stations. In-depth analysis of satellite imagery data continues to provide more accurate weather forecasts while at the same time, contributing significantly in military surveillance. Satellite information is also widely used in the monitoring and evaluation of natural resources.

Space technology plays a very important role in surveying and mapping. The use of space technology enhances the process of data access for efficient planning and decision making purposes. The technology includes, among others: the GPS for determination of positions of points on the Earth; photogrammetry for the preparation of photographic images and maps and remote sensing for production of special imagery applicable in mapping, land use planning as well as environmental monitoring and protection. Space techniques currently provide relatively better accuracies than the traditional ground-based methods.

It is therefore important to apply space techniques for sustainable development. Furthermore,  long-term commitments and investments towards the development of skills and knowledge as well as the required infrastructure in Earth observation and related disciplines are to be put in place.

At the same time, the global perspective of the Earth's environment has fostered the development of a number of space-based remote sensing techniques for Earth observation. Both global and repetitive observations are needed to resolve the broad range of space and time scales involved in monitoring and preservation of the environment. Earth observation from space may be the only viable and cost-effective means of acquiring much of the necessary input data for climate and for monitoring the Earth's surface conditions on local, regional and global bases. A series of Earth Observation Satellites such as Landsat, SPOT, ERS-1, have been launched to support several missions covering the study of the Earth's resources and environment, among others.

The successful bidding for the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) by South Africa, puts Africa on the frontline of radio astronomy making it possible to collect radio waves from space. Unlike conventional optical instruments, radio telescopes can work in bad weather and are less troubled by cosmic dust. Kenya is a participant in the SKA project.

Moreover, Italy and Kenya are in co-operation in the San Marco project in Malindi. The project was established in Kenya in 1962 as a result of a bilateral agreement between the University of Nairobi and the University of Rome which is designed to be a space center. This facility will carry out international satellite telemetry support from ground station which also provides logistic support facilities for two satellite launching, tracking and control platforms. Therefore, the aim of this project was to lay foundation for the involvement in space research and technology.  I must say little has been achieved so far.

While several countries have made big steps forward on space science, Kenya is still crumpling with challenges of co-ordination, capacity building among others. The National Council for Science and Technology has prepared a draft Bill and Policy towards setting up of space science agency. It is prudent that all stakeholders participate so that we can realize the enormous benefits and positive impact of space science.