Kenya has announced its plan to host the World Geothermal Congress (WGC) in 2029.
The prestigious global geothermal forum held every three years seeks to scale up the global deployment of geothermal energy.
Energy Principal Secretary Alex Wachira announced during the ongoing 2024 Kenya Geothermal Congress in Nairobi.
According to Wachira, the summit will position the country as a leader in renewable energy.
“Hosting the WGC 2029 will give us a competitive edge not just in Africa but in the global energy market but also bolster our position as a global leader in the deployment of renewable energy,” he said.
It brings together industry leaders, academia, the finance sector, governments, NGOs and communities to collaborate and provide thoughtful solutions for a sustainable society.
“I wish to confirm that the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum fully supports this bid,” he added.
Apart from hosting the meeting, Kenya and Africa, Wachira noted, will be able to attract enhanced Foreign Direct Investments in geothermal development to spur industrialization.
He underscored the role of geothermal in the country’s long-term development blueprint towards a 100 per cent transition to renewable energy by 2030.
“Kenya’s journey towards advancing its leadership position in the development of renewable energy is on course,” he stated.
The government, he pointed out, is committed to accelerating the development of geothermal energy as a key cog in advancing the full adoption of renewable energy for sustainable industrial development.
Kenya has already made significant progress over the years in exploiting its geothermal potential which is estimated at 10,000MW.
However, only less than 10 per cent of the potential has been developed mainly through state-owned enterprises namely the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and the Geothermal Development Company (GDC).
Private sector participation has nevertheless registered slow growth, but this is quickly changing.
Kenya is currently ranked position seven globally among the top 10 geothermal developing countries in the world with an installed capacity of about 940MW.
