Barriers and opportunities in harnessing geothermal energy: A case study of east Africa

Abstract

This paper examines geothermal energy applications and development in East Africa. With a large geothermal power potential of 30,000MW, about 5% of this potential has been developed in the region. This study uses secondary data to review source documents, empirical literature and archival information, which was triangulated to obtain greater truths. The findings are that geothermal energy is mainly used for power generation and other direct uses. The outstanding barriers are mainly political, economic, socio-cultural, technological environmental and legal regulatory that should be overcome to achieve robust industrialisation among member countries.