Once current projects are completed, Kenya will rank fourth on the global list of geothermal users behind the United States, Indonesia and The Philippines, and aims to generate over half of the country's electricity from geothermal sites, data from Global Energy Monitor shows.
Geothermal power does not produce emissions during electricity production, similar to other forms of renewables.
Major global geothermal power producers
But it has the added benefit of being available around-the-clock in reliable quantities, which trumps the intermittent nature of solar and wind power and makes it attractive for industrial power users as well as power generators.
In addition, the geothermal sector generates more direct and indirect jobs than other renewable energy sources, with an estimated 34 jobs per installed megawatt created compared to 19 by the wind sector and 12 for solar photovoltaic installations, according to Italian energy company Enel(ENEI.MI).
Kenya renewable energy capacity development pipeline
For the fast-growing economies of Africa, where the population is expected to reach 1.7 billion by 2030, industries that create jobs and accelerate the global energy transition will likely gain preferential treatment from governments and broad support from society.
In turn, that may help the geothermal sector withstand competition from rival energy sources in the years ahead, even if some may be cheaper to construct per unit of power capacity.
