Page 14 - AfrElec Week 37 2022

AfrElec GEOTHERMAL AfrElec

KenGen begins geothermal

drilling in Djibout

DHIBOUTI KENYA Electricity Generating Company Development manager, is quoted as saying in a
(KenGen) has begun geothermal drilling in statement.
neighbouring Djibouti less than a year since the The project is of strategic importance to
Nairobi-listed hydroelectric power company Djibouti, which is looking to renewable energy
started research and exploration activities into sources to drive sustainable economic growth.
the project, The Star reports. It is the third mega geothermal drilling con-
KenGen, Kenya’s largest power producer, is tract that KenGen is implementing outside
expected to drill three geothermal wells in Dji- Kenya in the continent. Earlier in September,
bouti, as contracted by the Djiboutian Office of a Toshiba subsidiary agreed with the utility in
Geothermal Energy Development (ODDEG). principle to work together to operate and main-
As part of a regional expansion, KenGen has tain services for geothermal power plants in
already completed drilling on several in Ethio- developing countries, beginning in East Africa.
pia, where it was contracted to drill 12 geother- Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corpo-
mal wells for the Ethiopian Electric Company ration (ESS) and KenGen) signed a memoran-
(EEP), with World Bank financing. dum of understanding (MoU) to that effect at
“The [Djibouti] move serves as further tes- the recent Tokyo International Conference on
tament to African countries supporting each African Development (TICAD 8) in Tunisia. It
other to develop crucial sectors of their econ- anticipates them forming a partnership utilising
omies,” Peketsa Mangi, KenGen’s Geothermal their respective know-how and networks.™

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 37 15•September•2022