KenGen to seek partnerships with China to expand geothermal power

Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) is seeking to extend its successful partnership with the Chinese firm, Great Wall Drilling Company, KenGen said Monday.

KenGen Managing Director Albert Mugo told Xinhua in Nairobi that the Chinese firm has been its main geothermal steam drilling contractor.

"We may approach the Great Wall Drilling Company so that we extend our current partnership due to their high efficiency in drilling for geothermal steam," Mugo said.

The Chinese Export Import Bank gave Kenya a 400 million U.S. dollar loan to finance the drilling of geothermal steam.

Mugo said that the financial assistance was for drilling 80 wells but due to the efficiency and expertise of the Great Wall Drilling Company, they were able to drill 90 geothermal wells.

"The drilling began in September 2012 and the last well will be completed next month. We are very pleased with the work of the Chinese and so we hope to enlist them to help expand geothermal electricity production in Kenya," Mugo said.

The steam obtained from the drilling efforts will be used to expand KenGen electricity production which currently stands at 1,617 MegaWatts.

KenGen plans to begin construction of 140 and 70 MW geothermal electricity plants by the end of 2016.

Kenya's long term goal is reduce its reliance on fossil based electricity production by increasing power production from renewable energy sources such as geothermal. Endit