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.