- There is a lot of potential in this way of producing energy in a climate-friendly way.
- Geothermal energy is possible in many more places in Germany than people think today.
The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke in favour of the greater use of geothermal energy as an energy resource for Germany during his visit to Kenya. On Saturday, he visited Africa’s largest geothermal plant and said: “It is also something we can use in Germany, and we will do so. Because there is a lot of potential in this way of producing energy in a climate-friendly way. Geothermal energy is possible in many more places in Germany than people think today.”
The five power plants in Olkaria on the edge of Kenya’s Hell’s Gate National Park, around 120 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, have an installed capacity of around 800 megawatts and play a crucial role in the country’s energy production. Kenya’s location along the East African Rift Valley, which was formed when the Arab plate split off from the African plate, and the volcanic activity in the region offer the best conditions.
The potential of this type of energy in the region is estimated at 10 gigawatts, but it is still unclear whether this can be fully exploited. Scholz said Germany should take Kenya as an example when using one’s natural resources: “We don’t have any volcanic regions like this in Germany, but we have many areas and landscapes that have the potential for geothermal energy.”
The chancellor was impressed that Kenya is expected to obtain all its electricity production from renewable sources by 2030. “We have also made the necessary decisions to achieve the pace to reach our ambitious climate goals,” Scholz said about Germany. By 2030, Germany wants to produce 80 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources.