The African Development Bank (AfDB) is set to replicate the
success of Menengai geothermal project across Africa.
The bank in a press statement called the 400 MW project
ambitious and said will work on a series of smaller projects across the East
African Rift Valley adapted to specific content of each country and geothermal
potential.
In Djibouti the bank will development a 50 MW power plant in
the Lac Assal region while in Ethiopia and Tanzania the bank is defining a
geothermal development roadmap under Climate Investment Funds.
The same project will also be carried out in Comoros for a 20
MW geothermal plant to match the needs of the archipelago.
This was revealed during the 2012 African Rift Geothermal
Conference held in Nairobi to help the bank premier its development in
geothermal energy sector. The conference was attended by more than 630
delegates and 25 exhibitors.
“An eloquent illustration of this new model is the Menengai
geothermal development project in Kenya, which the African Development Bank has
recently supported with approximately USD 150 million highly concessional
financing from its own resources blended with climate investment funds,” said
Thierno Bah, AfDB Senior Power Engineer.
The Menengai Project once completed will increase energy
supply to 500,000 Kenyan households, 300,000 small businesses and some 1,000
GWh for other businesses and industries.
The project will also displace around two million tons of carbon
dioxide per annum, hence significantly contributing to the fight against
climate change.
“Building on Kenyan success AfDB is focusing on developing the
geothermal potential in Tanzania which has been identified as the next country
having an important geothermal potential,” the bank said.
Tonia Kandiero, AfDB Resident Representative in Tanzania called
the project ambitious to untapped the large geothermal resource potential in
the Eastern Africa region from the current 217 MW, mostly in Kenya to estimated
10,000 MW which can be found in Kenya.
The project will be financed
for the early stage and high-risk activities mainly related to drilling
activities to be undertaken by a special purpose company like the Kenyan
Geothermal Development Company (GDC).
© Manuel Odeny, 2013
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