Rwanda Plans to Start Sinking Geothermal Wells, Has 700 MWs

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-04/rwanda-plans-to-start-sinking-geothermal-wells-has-700-mws.html

Rwanda Plans to Start Sinking Geothermal Wells, Has 700 MWs

By Sarah McGregor - May 4, 2011 4:37 AM PT
Rwanda plans to start drilling exploratory geothermal wells in an area
that may have at least 700 megawatts of steam power, following in the
footsteps of neighboring Kenya, Energy Minister Coletha Ruhamya said.

Rwanda lies within the same Great Rift Valley fault system as Kenya,
where shifting tectonic plates provide sizeable reserves of geothermal
energy. Kenya, Africa�s biggest geothermal power producer, estimates
the extent of its untapped power resources at as much as 10,000
megawatts, enough to meet its own electricity needs and export the
surplus.

�Geothermal is the area that the government of Rwanda wants to
prioritize,� Ruhamya said, according to a statement e- mailed from the
Nairobi-based Geothermal Development Co. today. �Since Kenya has
progressed far in the area, we are looking for collaboration and
partnership in capacity building, drilling and putting plants in place.�

Ruhamya made the comments in a meeting yesterday with her Kenyan
counterpart Kiraitu Murungi, according to the statement. She didn�t
say when drilling may start. The New Times newspaper reported on March
10 that the country would start digging wells in August, citing Ruhamya.

Experts from Kenya�s state-run Geothermal Development Co. are
currently training 12 Rwandese students on how geothermal technology
works, today�s statement said.

Investigations into Rwanda�s geothermal potential began in 1982 with
the north-western Volcanoes National Park and areas around Lake Kivu
identified as possible sites, according to the energy ministry�s
website.

To contact the reporters on this story: Sarah McGregor in Nairobi at smcgregor5@bloomberg.net
.

(detailed article on cost of geothermal dropping in US:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-geothermal-power-compete-with-coal-on-price)
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