Exploitation assessment of geothermal energy from African Great Rift Valley

A significant untapped geothermal energy potential of approximately 15 GWe exists along the African Great Rift Valley, with the majority concentrated in Ethiopia. Despite this vast resource, current electricity production from geothermal sources in Kenya and Ethiopia stands at only 900 MWe, highlighting a substantial gap between potential and actual exploitation. This study assesses the feasibility of developing two geothermal power plants—one using a flash plant configuration for high-enthalpy resources (~300°C) at Corbetti, Ethiopia, with an estimated production of 50–100 MWe, and another employing a binary cycle plant for medium-enthalpy resources (T<200°C) at Arus-Bogoria, Kenya, yielding about 20 MW. Additionally, the research evaluates the potential for direct geothermal water use in applications such as greenhouse heating, agricultural drying, sanitary uses, recreation, and industry. These findings underscore the region's capacity to significantly boost electrification rates, currently lagging at 34%, by leveraging its abundant geothermal resources.

Bonechi, N., Fiaschi, D., Manfrida, G., Talluri, L., & Zuffi, C. (2021). Exploitation assessment of geothermal energy from African Great Rift Valley. E3S Web of Conferences, 312, 8008. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202131208008