Eddy Njoroge, KenGen’s managing director said Geothermal is the new thrust in our power generation strategy. It is not subject to the vagaries of weather changes such as hydro, and the volatility of oil prices such as gas.
Although cheap and renewable, the set up cost for geothermal is expensive compared to other sources of power.
It costs $6 million to drill a well into the earth, and there is a risk that one may fail to find steam, Njoroge said.
Many wells are needed to generate sufficient power.
We have not focused on geothermal in the past because it is very expensive up-front. In the long run it is a cheaper option, because there is no fuel cost to keep it running, and it is a renewable source of energy, Njoroge said.
Electricity demand in Kenya is anticipating to surge from 1,050 MW now to 1,500 MW by 2012, 3,000 MW by 2018 and 9,000 MW by 2030, in line with growth of the economy and population.
Njoroge said Kenya’s focus on geothermal would accolade plans to integrate national grids in the region, to form a power pool to trade electricity.
