KENYA – The government of Kenya has signed for a US$14.5 million grant from the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Fund (GRMF) for the implementation of the Baringo-Silali geothermal project in Rift Valley.

The project is being implemented by the Geothermal Development Corporation (GDC) owned by the Government of Kenya.

The US$14.5 million grant agreement was signed between the African Union, represented by the African Union Commission, which is the contracting authority, and the National Treasury of Kenya, which is the beneficiary.

The grant from the African Union’s Geothermal Risk Mitigation Fund (GRMF) will support a drilling and testing programme and infrastructure upgrades at the Paka geothermal site in the Rift Valley in western Kenya.

In addition to Paka geothermal project, the Baringo-Silali geothermal project is being spread over two other sites, namely Korosi and Silali.

“Baringo-Silali geothermal site can produce up to 3,000 MW, enough to reinforce Kenya’s status as the leading producer of geothermal energy in Africa”

According to the state-owned company GDC, exploration drilling has already started at the Paka site.

This is not the first grant GRMF has awarded to GDC for the Baringo-Silali geothermal project, in November 2019, the fund that promotes the development of geothermal energy in East African awarded agrant of US$17.2 million to GDC.

 A few weeks earlier, the company received another grant of US$11.8 million.

The clean energy project is attracting so much interest because it is promising.

According to GDC, each site of the Baringo-Silali geothermal project will have a power plant at each site that will use steam emitted from the heat underground to drive its turbines, providing 100 MW.

The three sites will therefore supply a total of 300 MW.

Experts estimate that the Baringo-Silali geothermal site can produce up to 3,000 MW, enough to reinforce Kenya’s status as the leading producer of geothermal energy in Africa.

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