At the end of his three-day trip to Africa, Chancellor Scholz visited a geothermal plant in Kenya. He spoke out in favor of significantly greater use of geothermal energy as an energy source in Germany.
Africa’s largest geothermal plant, in Kenya, is the last stop on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-day visit to the continent. He believes that Germany should also be inspired by the use of geothermal energy in Kenya. “Geothermal energy is possible in many more places in Germany than many people think today,” Scholz said.
The potential is also considered very large in Germany. Therefore, all geodata and information would now be collected “so that the courage grows” to exploit these energy sources, some of which are kilometers deep in the earth. After a brief visit to Ethiopia, Scholz arrived in Kenya on Thursday night.
Use of geothermal energy in East Africa’s Rift Valley
A visit to the geothermal plant in Olkaria, about 120 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, was the last item on his agenda before heading back to Berlin. The five power plants on the edge of the “Hell’s Gate” national park produce almost half of the electricity consumed in Kenya.
Kenya’s location along the East African Rift Valley, formed when the Arabian tectonic plate broke away from the African tectonic plate, and the region’s volcanic activity provide ideal conditions for harnessing geothermal energy. The geothermal potential there is estimated at ten gigawatts. However, it is still unclear whether this too can be used in its entirety.
heat and electricity generation
Germany can learn from Kenya when it comes to using its natural resources, Scholz said: “In Germany, we don’t have volcanic regions like this, but we have many areas and landscapes where geothermal energy has good prerequisites.” Scholz advocated reevaluating the use of geothermal energy in Germany. “The potential is estimated to be very high. With modern technology, we also have the opportunity to better determine whether the drilling will be successful.”
Both heat and electricity can be obtained from geothermal energy. Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger had already announced an offensive to expand geothermal energy in Germany earlier this year. In deep geothermal energy, geothermal energy is used by drilling holes to a depth of several kilometers. According to a study by several large German research centres, this could cover more than a quarter of Germany’s annual heat needs. According to previous information from the Ministry of Research, at least 100 additional geothermal projects are expected to start by 2030.
Kenya as a pioneer
The chancellor also acknowledged that Kenya – faster than planned – aims to get all its electricity production from renewable sources by 2030. to achieve our ambitious climate targets,” Scholz said in reference to Germany. By 2030, Germany will be able to produce 80% of its electricity from renewable sources.
Kenya is a pioneer in the use of renewable energies. According to the International Renewable Energy Organization, however, the country only produces about twelve gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity, while the much more industrialized Germany produces nearly 50 times as much.
More investment needed
Germany’s commitment to green energy projects in Kenya – especially in the field of geothermal energy – has a long tradition. For more than 20 years, Germany has invested in such projects, for example through the state-owned development bank KfW and the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Germany also invested millions in the construction of the Olkaria geothermal power plant.
In the future, Germany also wants to focus on establishing a hydrogen economy in Kenya. Currently, it is still questionable whether Germany can benefit from Kenyan hydrogen imports in the medium term.
Kenyan President William Ruto already acknowledged Germany’s support for the green energy industry on Friday: “The fact that 92% of electricity from renewable sources flows through our grid is due to the substantial contributions made by technology and German investments”. However, Ruto urged German policymakers to do more internationally to ensure that industrialized countries provide more investment in green energy projects in the Global South.