Geothermal energy in the world from an energy perspective

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the energy utilization in the world and the operations of UNU Geothermal Training Programme in Iceland are presented, with emphasis on East Africa. Utilization of geothermal energy in Africa is reviewed and examples are presented from the region, as well as from Iceland where geothermal energy plays a larger role than in any other country in the world. Based on the World Energy Council report, published in 2013, on the current world energy status and future energy scenarios, the primary energy consumption in the world was assessed as 546 EJ in 2010, with about 80% coming from fossil fuels, and only 15% from renewable energy sources. Different scenarios proposed by WEC for development to 2050 are discussed with emphasis on the potential contribution of the renewables and their prospects. The current share of renewables in energy production is mainly from biomass and hydro, but in a future envisioned through depleting resources of fossil fuels and environmentally acceptable energy sources, geothermal energy with its large technical potential is expected to play an important role. Africa is currently an energy depleted region, but in the WEC report an annual growth rate of 5% is predicted in the next decades, considerably higher than for other regions which is good news for Africa. High-temperature geothermal resources within the Great East African Rift Valley have the potential to provide East Africa with the some of the energy it needs for development, and even become one of the main source for electrical production. Kenya is now producing about 590 MWe of electricity from geothermal (end of 2014), and has set itself a very ambitious goal of having reached 5000 MWe from geothermal resources on-line in the year 2030, through its Kenya Vision 2030. This is an example for the other East African countries to follow