Comoros Islands hopeful for up to 30 MW geothermal potential
Geothermal research on a volcano, Comoros Islands (source: screenshot of UNDP video)
Alexander Richter
30 Nov 2016
The Comoros Islands off the coast of Mozambique in Africa are hopeful to be able to one day power its islands through geothermal energy, with ongoing research showing some good potential.
The Comoros Islands situated off the coast of Mozambique, Africa between the main land and Madagascar has been dependent on power generation through diesel generators, which is pricey, but also not very environmentally friendly.
With volcanic activities, there seems to be potential for geothermal and there are big hopes that in the future geothermal power could provide a cheaper and cleaner alternative.
With support from the government of New Zealand, the UNDP and the African Union, a team has been exploring geothermal potential on the island near an active volcano at an altitude of 2,600 meters.
With the studies it is hoped to evaluate what sites would be potential sites for further studies and possibly a geothermal power plant in the future.
With initial results quite positive, there are hopes that the development potential might be up to 30-50 MW.
To continue further exploration and then possibly development further support by donors and the private sector is needed.
