GDC expects to start exploration at Suswa geothermal field this fall

Valley view at Suswa, Kenya (source: flickr/ Wajahat Mahmood, creative commons)

Alexander Richter 15 Aug 2016

Kenya’ s Geothermal Development Company (GDC) has announced it will start development of the Suswa geothermal project later this fall.

The company will do the exploration and drilling work and then expects private companies to compete for licenses to build the actual power plants.

Described as a new business model, GDC actually has applied the same model already at the Menengai geothermal field, where three private companies have been chosen to develop geothermal plants, a project that is a bit delayed.

In local news, GDC Managing Director Johnson ole Nchoe said that the company expects to get requisite funding and the necessary approvals in the coming months. “We have already finalised on the exploration side, our scientist tells us the site could inject between 600-1,000MW to the national grid,” he said.

Nchoe said the Italian government has pledged to fund the project.

“The drilling of the wells requires huge amounts of water, which is unavailable in Suswa,” he said. GDC has has already received Sh51 billion ($475 million) in loans and grants.

Source: The Star