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Production test at Menengai geothermal field

On December3, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions with the Government of the Republic of Kenya in Nairobi for the Project for Capacity Strengthening for Geothermal Steam Supply and Management, a technical cooperation project.

Although Kenya's electrification rate is higher than neighboring countries, approximately 25% of the population has no access to electricity. Kenya is a country with one of the largest geothermal resource potentials in the world. Geothermal power is a clean energy that emits almost no greenhouse gases and can be used as the base load power. In Kenya, geothermal power accounts for more than 40% of the country's total power generation. JICA has conducted many Japanese ODA loan projects for construction or rehabilitation of geothermal power plants in the Olkaria area, and also conducted technical cooperation projects for capacity building of exploration technology, resource assessment, drilling technology, and development planning in Kenya.

This project aims to strengthening the steam supply and management capacity of the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) to promote the development of geothermal resources in Kenya. JICA will give support in conducting interference and tracer tests for the re-evaluation of geothermal resources in Menengai and for optimizing the steam supply project, and also for reviewing and updating the development plans in Menengai West, Paka, Koroshi, Suswa, and other geothermal fields. This project will contribute to achievement of SDGs Goal 7 and 13.

Details for the project are provided below.

[Basic project information]

Country	Republic of Kenya
Project title	The Project for Capacity Strengthening for Geothermal Steam Supply and Management
Planned implementation period	36 months
Executing agency	Geothermal Development Company (GDC)
Target region	Nairobi, Menengai, Paka, Koroshi, Suswa, and other geothermal fields
Specific project details (provisional)	JICA will dispatch experts to strengthen GDC’s steam supply and management capacity. JICA will assist the implementation of interference and tracer tests and steam supply transactions in Menengai, and reviewing and updating the development plansin new geothermal fields.