• Kenya begins geothermal exploration at Suswa field
• Suswa estimated to hold 300 MW geothermal potential
• Kenya targets 1,824 MW geothermal capacity by 2030

Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company (GDC) began deploying drilling rigs to the Suswa geothermal field on Thursday, Jan. 29. The move signals the start of active exploration at the site.

With the addition of Suswa, GDC now oversees three geothermal fields. The other two sites under its responsibility are Menengai and Baringo–Silali. According to the state-owned enterprise, Suswa has an estimated potential of 300 MW. Development of the field will be carried out in stages, depending on exploration and drilling results. No production timeline has been announced so far.

GDC was established following the adoption of Sessional Paper No. 4 on Energy (2004) and the enactment of the Energy Act (2006). The company was part of a reform that unbundled Kenya’s energy sector. The enterprise operates in power generation. Its mandate includes developing geothermal fields and supplying steam for electricity production to the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) as well as private investors.

The mobilization at Suswa comes as geothermal energy plays a central role in Kenya’s electricity mix, providing a significant share of the power produced in the country. This is due in part to a strategy in which the state takes on early-stage risk before independent producers and lenders become involved.

This approach enabled the development of several power plant projects at Menengai, including the OrPower Twenty-Two project, which is supported by a $16.5 million loan recently approved by the African Development Bank (AfDB). In this context, Suswa represents the latest step in Kenya’s geothermal program. The country aims to reach 1,824 MW of geothermal capacity by 2030, compared with the current 940 MW.

Abdoullah Diop