Kengen to support Eswatini nation in geothermal exploration

Engineers from Kengen work on one of the largest well in Olkaria which is 3km deep and has the capacity of producing 30m. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Kenya Energy Generating Company (KenGen) will assist in geothermal exploration in the southern African nation of Eswatini.

The move comes a couple of weeks after engineers from the energy generation company also started drilling for geothermal power in the Mbeya area of Tanzania.

Kengen CEO, Eng Peter Njenga, said they will collaborate with Eswatini Electricity Company (EC) to harness renewable energy in the South African nation.

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“Our success in developing Kenya’s geothermal sector has positioned us as a trusted partner for other African countries, and we are proud to share our experience and contribute to Africa’s sustainable future,” he said.

In a report published in the company’s weekly bulletin, Njenga said that the expertise in Eswatini was both a commercial venture and a demonstration of leadership in Africa’s clean energy transition.

“This partnership is a significant step in our mission to support Africa’s renewable energy ambitions and mitigate the effects of climate change,” he said.

On his part, EEC General Manager Research Mphumuzi Maziya, said that their electricity landscape remained heavily dependent on imports from neighboring South Africa and Mozambique.

He lauded the latest venture, noting that his government was making domestic generation a national priority as electricity demand continued to rise.

“Unlocking the country’s geothermal will represent a breakthrough opportunity to strengthen self-sufficiency while keeping pace with global trends in renewable energy adoption,”

“We aim to generate base load power using renewable energy, ensuring a cleaner and more reliable electricity supply for the nation,” he said.

The move is in line with commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement (2015), which seeks to enable countries to reduce their carbon emissions footprints, limit global temperatures, and reverse climate-induced calamities.

Speaking earlier, the MD said that the company had been awarded exploration rights in Zambia and Tanzania while drilling was ongoing in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eswatini.

He said KenGen would deploy its technological support and decades-old expertise to assist the five countries' transition to clean energy sources.

“We successfully supported Ethiopia and Djibouti, and our next stop is E-swatini, Zambia, and Tanzania, which have high potential for geothermal energy,” he said.