Kenya: Large Geothermal Power Plant by December 2014

The project of nearly 950 million U.S. dollars will be completed in December 2014, allowing the geothermal contribute up to 30% in the country's energy mix.

Kenya believes its geothermal potential at 7,000 MW, but currently produces just over 150 MW, about 13% of the total electricity production.

Geothermal resources in Kenya are located along the Rift Valley, in the coastal region, the Homa Hills in Nyanza and Myambene in the mountains of the east. Geothermal production is considered the best source of affordable electricity for Kenya and part of its development objective, which is to attain the status of middle-income countries by 2030.

The new project was funded by multilateral development groups, including the European Investment Bank, the World Bank, the German development bank KfW, and the Japanese development agency JICA.

Construction work is also carried out by different companies, including Chinese Greatwall Drilling Company, Toyota and Tusho Synotech Company, among others.

The project should put Kenya on the world map of geothermal energy because it will be the single largest project in terms of global electricity production.

It will also put the country in the forefront of the list of countries producing geothermal energy in the world, dominated by the United States (3000 MW) and the Philippines (2,000 MW).