Dear Reader, 

My objective with the field research review is to give you a detailed outline of the Menengai Geothermal Project and its value to our country. Not only that, but the value of geothermal energy to the African continent is also significant. When it comes to geothermal energy, it can sometimes be challenging to understand. There are dense research articles on this topic. Since it is a technically dense subject matter, it is often difficult for our citizens to have accessible knowledge. These indigenous people, policy makers, and decision-makers across the continent own this land. Kenya has made holistic strides in exploring renewable energy, from wind, solar, hydropower, and geothermal energy. Kenya ranks as the 6th largest geothermal producer in the world, generating 40% of its electricity from geothermal energy. This is a proud testament to our renewable energy leadership. As you read this research review, I hope you learn something new and walk away knowing that exceptional teams are working in Kenya to make energy available to our population. With gratitude to the Geothermal Development Company for opening its doors to us, may its knowledge inspire us to envision a continent where we have energy sovereignty to support our people. 

• Nyasaina Kwamboka, Founder of the African Environmental Youth Advisory

To frame this discussion: 

Geothermal energy is a non-intermittent renewable energy source derived from the heat within the Earth's core. "The term geo means Earth, and thermal means heat."(1) The energy is extracted by drilling into the hot rocks and pushing in fluids such as water to extract the heat through steam.  It is reliable and consistent.

In contrast to solar, wind, and hydropower, which rely on weather conditions, geothermal energy depends on baseload power. Geothermal hotspots are not found everywhere; they are tied to plate boundaries where we have subduction zones, rift valleys, and mid-ocean ridges. The Pacific Ring of Fire → Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, NZ, US West, Chile, Peru, Mexico. The East African Rift Valley → Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge → Iceland. And the Mediterranean-Asian Belt → Italy, Turkey, Greece(2).

In the East African rift valley, there is a potential to produce 20,000 MWe. And as of 2025, only 5% of this energy has been tapped into,  957 MW with 950 in Kenya and 7MW  in Ethiopia (3). Making Kenya the first place for geothermal production in Africa and the world's 6th most significant geothermal potential (4).

Field Research 

On July 12th, Sia Were, Environmental Scientist, and I,  Nyasaina Kwamboka - Economist and Environmental Researcher, of the African Environmental Youth Advisory, accepted our official invitation to visit the Menengai Geothermal Project in Nakuru. Our invitation was honored by the Geothermal Development Company, and with the support of Anzetse Were, we travelled from Nairobi at 4 am and arrived in Nakuru at 7 am. This was the beginning of an eclectic journey accompanied by geothermal engineers, site managers, and project experts. On the day we had the honor to meet Senior Engineer, Esther Njuguna, Senior Engineer, George Muriga, Drilling Operations Engineer, Doughty Musalia, Communications Marketing Officer, Duncan Wachira, Environmental Scientist, Festus Mbae, Direct-Use Agricultural Expert, Justus Nyongesa, and Transportation Lead, John. They all shared with us valuable intergenerational knowledge on their subject expertise. 

We first drove on the road within the Menengai Caldera. A caldera is a significant, basin-shaped depression that forms when a volcano erupts so violently that the top of the volcano collapses inward. It's like the sinking that happens after a volcano's magma has cooled. As confirmed by the Smithsonian Institution, Menengai was an active volcano that erupted about 8,000 years ago in 6050 BCE, forming the 12 x 8 km wide Caldera where the Menengai Geothermal Plant is now stationed (5). The name "Menengai" originates from the Maasai language, meaning "the dead," comes from observing strange phenomena of "smoke" rising from the ground, which was the steam rising was believed to be the souls of these dead warriors (6). 

We then arrived at the highest point of the Caldera, where we could see an overview of the geothermal power station. It was so beautiful, calm, and windy!  Senior Engineer Esther Njuguna introduced us to the entire team and project and provided an outline of our daily research activities. She informed us that the Menengai geothermal project is a 105 MW project comprising three plants, 35MW each. The Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power Limited, Quantum Power East Africa, and OrPower Twenty-Two (Ormat Technologies) all tap into the Menengai caldera's rich geothermal reservoir to supply clean, renewable electricity to Kenya's national grid (7). The team gave us safety helmets and reflective jackets to ensure we were correctly geared for the project site, while engineer Njuguna outlined our field exploration for the day. We would visit the drilling rig operations, then the Main Control Room, the Power plant generation - Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power Ltd., and finally the Menengai Direct-Use Pilot Project. 

At the Drilling Rig operations, we met Engineer Musalia. The drilling rig is a massive structure at a geothermal site with the primary purpose of drilling wells several meters into the ground. This allows the engineers to access hot water and steam that is trapped within porous rocks. They stabilize the well with casings and collect critical data for the power resource. This stage determines whether the site can generate reliable geothermal power. Engineer Muriga then explained that GDC Menengai operates more than 40 wells with 85% actively producing steam. Sometimes you can drill and find an inactive or dry well. 

At the Main control room, we met Engineer Muriga, who gave us an extensive overview of the Menegai geothermal project since its commission in 2009. We then entered the control room, where we saw large screens and control panels with real-time monitoring of wellhead pressures, steam flow rates, turbine speeds & generator output (MW), temperature & pressure data across the system, and grid connection status, which is how much power is fed into Kenya's national grid. It was also exciting to see the alarm systems in action, where there were audible and visual alarms to warn of irregularities like overheating, sudden pressure drops, or equipment malfunctions. These were typically fixed automatically; sometimes, someone would fix the error. 

After this, we went to the Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power Ltd, power plant, for generation. This is a privately-owned power-producing company based in Kenya. The company operates a 35-megawatt geothermal facility within the Menengai geothermal zone. Indirect use of geothermal energy involves using steam directly from wells to turn turbines. At Sosian, we met mechanical Engineer, Chakravarthy Potnuru (Chakri), and Sosian's Project Manager, Philemon Kimeli (Ole).  Engineer Chakri taught us how the plant works and explained the process of converting steam from the wells into electricity, from steam separation and turbine operation to power generation. We also talked about how turbines, pipelines, and condensers are maintained to prevent breakdowns, and the importance of monitoring temperature, pressure, and vibration levels. We took a tour around the facility. Project manager Ole told us about private investment in Kenya's geothermal sector and how Independent Power Producers (IPPs) like Sosian contribute to national energy goals. He also shared the impact of local employment that the geothermal facilities provide and the opportunities for internships within Sosian. 

We then drove to the Menengai Direct-Use Pilot Project. This was Sia's most exciting part of the tour, as most of her undergraduate senior thesis focused on this. Direct use of geothermal energy means using geothermal heat directly without first converting it into electricity through greenhouse farming or heating recreational spas. Environmental Scientist Festus Mbae mentioned that direct use is a complete game-changer because it can be used for agricultural purposes, industrial support, and recreation services. Direct use at GDC is a way to support local communities and diversify the benefits of geothermal resources. They do this through dairy processing, dehydrating crops such as maize, using steam to wash and dry through laundry services, and supporting fish farming. This was an interesting opportunity to learn about geothermal energy's expansive uses, especially when applied to small-scale industries. 

A nutritious evening meal provided by the GDC chefs marked the successful conclusion of our field research.

The Menengai Geothermal Project reminds us that energy hosts opportunities for energy sovereignty. With determination, renewable energy powers homes and industries, too! My hope is that this research inspires you to see geothermal energy not as a distant science, but as a resource beneath our feet. One that is reliable, homegrown, and transformative.

Our continent has an estimated 15,000–20,000 MW of geothermal potential, and currently, we use less than 1,000MW. If you would like to learn more about WHY? Explore our educational toolkit on Geothermal Energy coming out in October 2025. There you will find all the answers. 

With gratitude, 

Nyasaina Kwamboka 

References

1. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Geothermal explained. Eia.gov. Published December 27, 2022. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/geothermal/ 

2.  Coro G, Trumpy E. Predicting geographical suitability of geothermal power plants. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020;267:121874. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121874 

3. Abegaz K. MID-TERM REVIEW of the UN ENVIRONMENT GEF FUNDED PROJECT "African Rift Geothermal Development Facility (ARGeo) Project.; 2017. Accessed August 22, 2025. https://open.unep.org/docs/gef/MTE/2119_2017_MTR_.pdf 

4. Global geothermal electricity production by country (MW).Data from ThinkGeoEnergy Research, January 2025.

5. IEDA / DECADE Portal. Earthchem.org. Published 2025. https://decade.earthchem.org/d/222060? 

6. Menengai Crater | Kenya Safari Tour Destinations | Explore Kenya. Lake Nakuru National Park. Published September 2, 2020.https://www.lakenakurukenya.com/menengai-crater/