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Unlocking the East African Rift System's Geothermal Power Potential as Means of Guaranteeing Reliable Electric Power
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Nyakabwa-Atwoki, Ralph K. B. |
| Copyright Year | 2015 |
| Abstract | Research surveys carried out between 2011 and 2013 indicate that many Africans believe their governments are failing to provide enough power, as shown by only South Africa being ranked the 16th while the rest of the East African region are occupying between 104th and 163rd in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa generated power is estimated at 68-Gigawatts no more than that of Spain, with South Africa alone accounting for 40-GW. The East African Rift System (EARS) is one of the major tectonic structures of the earth that stretches for about 6,500 km from the Middle East (Dead Sea-Jordan Valley) in the North to Mozambique in the South. The EARS passes through Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. Its estimated geothermal energy resource potential is more than 15,000 MWe. Despite the high geothermal potential of the EARS, only Kenya and Ethiopia have installed a capacity of about 217 MWe. Other countries are still at the surface exploration stage and yet to locate their geothermal reservoirs. Geothermal energy presents a clean and more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fuels and has the potential to provide long-term, secure base-load energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. However this potential can only be realized if the geothermal exploration and exploitation planning processes and strategies currently taking place at member state level are geared towards regional cooperation endeavourers. The concerted regional development of geothermal resources will consolidate financial, technical and human resources and eliminate or mitigate risks associated with resource exploration and development; lack of funding; and lack or inadequate geothermal policy, legal and institutional frameworks in most countries of the EARS. The regional geothermal development strategies will enhance absorption of upfront and political risks, consolidate private, bilateral capital and other foreign direct investments in addition to guaranteeing conducive investment environment as well as being vital to overcoming many investors reluctance and triggering the region’s growing energy demands. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://pangea.stanford.edu/ERE/db/WGC/papers/WGC/2015/16085.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
