NAIROBI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Experts began a two-day meeting in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday to discuss ways to accelerate geothermal development in Africa.
The Kenya Geothermal Congress brought together experts, policymakers, financiers, and investors in the geothermal sector from 20 African countries to enhance the use of renewable energy sources on the continent.
Alex Wachira, Kenya's principal secretary at the State Department of Energy, said the country currently generates about 985 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power against a potential of 10,000 MW.
"The government has identified key drivers that will drive the growth of geothermal (energy) as the preferred energy source for green growth," Wachira said, adding that Kenya is now the sixth-largest producer of geothermal power in the world.
Wachira told participants that Kenya has already registered interest from investors keen to set up data centers and various manufacturing plants to take advantage of the competitively priced geothermal power.
Joseph Mwangi, project manager of the African Union's Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility for Eastern Africa (GRMF), noted that as the continent embraces e-mobility to decarbonize the transportation sector, geothermal energy will play a key role in facilitating this transition.
Mwangi added that the GRMF has disbursed about 130 million U.S. dollars to finance 40 geothermal projects across Africa so far.
Gregory Gamula, director of planning and development at the Electricity Generating Company of Malawi, said his country is keen to diversify its energy generation mix by exploiting its geothermal resources. "Malawi is in talks with investors to establish a 10-MW geothermal power plant in the medium term."
Shakiru Idrissa Kajugus, director of business development at the Tanzania Geothermal Development Company, said his country hopes to operationalize its first geothermal power plant by the end of 2027. He noted that in addition to power generation, there is huge potential for direct use of geothermal energy in industry, agriculture, and tourism. ■