KenGen, GDC in plans to venture outside Olkaria and Menengai in developing geothermal power

Kenya is looking to expand the area under geothermal exploration and development as it seeks to increase the amount of electricity produced using the renewable energy.

The two major players in the geothermal energy subsector said they are evaluating the possibilities of going outside the fields of Olkaria and Menengai in a bid to increase energy produced from geothermal. This is expected to further reduce Kenya’s dependence on hydroelectricity that is prone to dry weather as well as eventually retire the costly diesel fired thermal power plants, which though being phased out they are used in instances of low water levels as has been the case this year.