Kenya and Eswatini to lead Commonwealth geothermal initiative

During the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, Commonwealth deputy-secretary general Arjoon Suddhoo announced Kenya and the Kingdom of Eswatini as the champions of geothermal energy and literacy in the Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition (CSET) agenda.

With this proclamation, Kenya and Eswatini will lead in forming coalition of Commonwealth member states that will work together to develop and execute strategies on geothermal energy and literacy.

“Our Commonwealth is blessed with a wealth of precious natural resources, including renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and wave energy. However, our shared economic recovery will depend upon learning from the past and continuing to learn from one other as we build a better future.” said Suddhoo during the announcement.

KenGen CEO Rebecca Miano welcomed the announcement and said that Kenya is pleased to lead the Action Group on geothermal energy. “Kenya is already leading the way in this sector. We are happy to share best practices and in-depth experience with fellow Commonwealth countries who also wish to develop this opportunity and to contribute to the global transition to low carbon forms of energy,” said Miano in a statement.

Senator Manqoba Khumalo appealed to other countries to join the Action Group on Energy Literacy. This group will will share information, know-how, and best practices and collaborate to support energy literacy amongst children, young people and local communities. It will also facilitate dialogue amongst stakeholders such as regional organizations, community-based groups, and the private sector.

“Eswatini is proud to steer this Action Group with the hope of collaborating with other like-minded Commonwealth countries to raise awareness among our societies about energy issues, and then translate these into concrete actions that will help achieve a more sustainable future for all,” said Khumalo. Malta, Ghana, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka have already signed up to join the Action Group.

As stated in the dispatch, there are currently four Commonwealth member countries that have installed geothermal energy – New Zealand (984 MW), Kenya (823.8 MW – updated to 944 MW as per latest development), Papua New Guinea (56 MW), and Australia (0.31 MW). However, there is still great potential in geothermal resource-rich countries. Examples cited included Canada, Dominica. St. Lucia. St. Vincent, St. Kitts and Nevis, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Solomon Islands.

Source: The Star