Ethiopia Geothermal Project Going as Planned – KenGen

KenGen, Kenya Electricity Generating Company, said the multi-million dollar project it is undertaking in Ethiopia to drill geothermal wells is “on course”, with four sets expected to come to completion before the end of 2021.

The company said it is “confident” that it can deliver in time on the geothermal exploration project in the Aluto-Langano area in Ethiopia.

KenGen won a joint contract to provide geothermal drilling services in Ethiopia in February 2019, in joint with the Beijing-headquartered Shandong Kerui Petroleum Equipment Company and Shandong Kerui Oilfield Service Group.

Nesta Nyakiti, Directional Drilling Engineer at KenGen leading the team, reminding the first well has already been drilled, said more staff have been mobilized to the area to start drilling the second well. 365m has already been drilled into the crust using aerated mud technique, he added.

“KenGen has mobilized a specialized drilling services crew of 24 staff in Aluto including aerated drillers, directional drillers, and reservoir engineers to ensure the project is a success,” Mr. Nyakiti said.

KenGen has already completed drilling two wells, one at Tulu Moye area and another at the Aluto-Langano area in Ethiopia.

The first well in Tulu Moye is discharging steam that will provide critical information such as quality, the pressure level and viability of steam in terms of the amount of energy it can generate. In March 2020, Tulu Moye Geothermal Operations PLC (TMGO) embarked on the development of a 520MW geothermal project the Oromia region, Ethiopia.