Chinese firm completes first rigging up for Ethiopia’s 70-MW geothermal energy project

Addis Ababa, August 20,2020 (FBC) — Chinese equipment and oil services company, Kerui Petroleum said it has successfully lifted the derrick and substructure for the first 1500HP drilling rig at Ethiopia’s Aluto-Langano Geothermal Energy Project.

The completion of the first rigging up marks a milestone in the 70-MW geothermal energy project, which is part of Ethiopian government’s plans to expand geothermal energy generation in the coming few years.

In February 2019, Kerui Petroleum, in partnership with Kenya’s state-owned power producer Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC, signed a contract with Ethiopia’s state utility firm Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP).

Under the contract, Kerui Petroleum will supply two sets of 1500HP drilling rigs, personnel training, drilling operation and related technology transfer for the drilling initially of the 22 wells at Aluto-Langano.

Ethiopia, occupying the longest section of the 7,000-km great East African Rift Valley plans to obtain an estimated geothermal potential of 10,000 MW, envisaged to tap into the potential of the geothermal energy to power the country’s development projects.

The energy sector is one of Ethiopia’s priorities as the country envisages becoming a light manufacturing hub in Africa and middle-income economy by 2025.

Ethiopia had also recently unveiled a 10-year energy roadmap that aims to increase energy generation four-fold using various energy sources such as geothermal, hydro, wind, co-generation and solar power.

Source: Xinhua