Steam power is our future: Kiraitu

Photo/FILE
Steam gushes from a geothermal well at the Menengai Crater in Nakuru on May 15, 2011.

Geothermal power is key to meeting Kenya’s electricity demand, a minister has said.

Its contribution will increase to 15,000 megawatts by 2030, says Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi.

He said the future of the country’s economic development was in geothermal power production as it would assure constant supply of reliable and affordable power.

“Electricity is at the core of our national development agenda as enumerated by the Vision 2030 and that is why the government is accelerating the development of geothermal power,” he said.

The cheapest option

Speaking after a tour of the Menengai Geothermal Field in Nakuru organised by the Geothermal Development Company over the weekend, Mr Kiraitu said geothermal was the cheapest option for electricity generation followed by wind.

“After the advent of climate change, reduced water levels in our rivers and unpredictable rain patterns, hydro power has become more unreliable and expensive with increasing shortages and frequent outages,” he said.

Mr Kiraitu said the government formed GDC to absorb the perceived risks in geothermal development and create a way in for investors.

“There has been a perception that geothermal development is risky especially at the initial stages,” he said.

Open up the sector

The minister said the government expects GDC to realise a target of 5,000MW by 2030 and open up the sector for private participation in order to attract development capital and meet increasing demand.

He said achieving low cost of power will give Kenya a competitive edge over its neighbours.

GDC hit a substantial amount of steam that can produce electricity at Menengai early this month. The potential of the first well is 10MW.