The partners of GEO-ENERGY EUROPE, which include Geoscience Ireland (GI), accompanied by some of their member companies participated in the Kenya Geothermal Congress which took place in Nairobi between 12 and 17 July. Organised by the Geothermal Association of Kenya, the Congress sought to deepen the ties between the Kenyan and the European geothermal energy sectors.

Europe and Kenya face very different energy challenges but share many solutions, among which geothermal is far from the least important. For both regions, geothermal energy has gained in strategic importance in the midst of a global energy price crisis which highlights the relevance of this reliable and domestic energy resource. Cooperation between the Kenyan and the European industry can be an asset to unlock geothermal energy’s potential in the African Rift region, enabled by the highly innovative technologies tested and implemented in the European market and the extensive know-how of the Kenyan industry.

The market visit led to a better understanding of the role of policies and regulatory instruments in spurring geothermal development in Kenya. GeoEnergy Europe welcomes the strong   support from  the Ministry of Energy for partnerships and provision of leadership on policy, paving the way for acceleration of  geothermal in the energy mix.

Joe Mongan, representing Geoscience Ireland (GI), coordinator of the GEO-ENERGY EUROPE meta-cluster presented a technical paper to the Congress on Geothermal resource evaluation in East African Rift Basins using hydrocarbon workflows.

Commenting on the Congress, he said: “The estimated geothermal potential in Kenya is about 10 GW and  just under 10% of this has been developed, in terms of installed capacity. With Kenya soon to reach the “1GW country club” in geothermal installed capacity, we see good opportunities for partnerships between GeoEnergy Europe SME’s and their Kenyan counterparts to share expertise in the application of leading-edge technologies for value creation and the acceleration the geothermal business in Kenya.”

Dario Bonciani, representative of COSVIG-DTE²V, a GEO-ENERGY EUROPE partner added: “Kenya  is a country with a huge potential and a geothermal market in expansion. Investments are favoured by the government and this renewable is considered as strategic, to support the decarbonization of the energy sector. Some of our member companies already have a well-developed business in Kenya and some other have a great potential to provide consultancies to local operators, thanks to their high-level know-how.”

Ferenc Fedor, president of CAPES, a GEO-ENERGY EUROPE Partner noted: “Kenya’s commitment to zero emissions is exemplary. At the same time, it poses a huge challenge in terms of both financial support and technological development as well as knowledge transfer. This creates an opportunity to share our experience and export our knowledge to Kenya and through it to many African countries.”

Other GEE2 participants included Steam Group and Idrogeo from Italy and GEODEEP from France.