Interview with Peter Vivian-Neal, CEO of Kalahari GeoEnergy

In an interview published by 1000 African Voices, Peter Vivian-Neal, CEO of geothemal developer  Kalahari GeoEnergy provides an overview and updates on the company’s geothermal development in Zambia. He also emphasizes the company’s community-driven approach to development, stating that it will be a “win-win situation” if the local community can be more engaged.

According to the updates, a feasibility study is now being done for 7 MWe of geothermal power generation. By the end of 2022, Vivian-Neal expects that civil works will be started and that plant commissioning can be done by early 2023. Moreover, other exploration works are ongoing to increase the reservoir volume. The long-term goal is to have 50 MWe of power generation capacity in eight to ten years.

Aside from power generation, the company also plans to use geothermal heat for direct use applications. Potential avenues include agro-processing, fish farming, and dairy processing. The company will also harness commercially valuable gases from the geothermal fluids.

An update in September 2020 shared by Kalahari GeoEnergy with ThinkGeoEnergy said that the company has commenced a slim well drilling programme at the Bweengwa geothermal project. The goal of the programme was to test the resource and determine its volume.

The interview also touches on various topics including the ease of doing business in Zambia, how Kalahari GeoEnergy developed their technical workforce, and the company’s efforts in the social responsibility front. The entire interview can be viewed in the video below:

Source: 1000 African Voices via YouTube