Tulu Moye Geothermal (TM Geothermal Operation PLC) signed the EPC contract at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The contract was signed between TMGO, Mitsubishi Corporation & SEPCO III on 30 March 2022, at the Federal Ministry of Mines in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Mines, Eng. Takele Uma and other distinguished guests including the various project partners, such as Reykjavik Geothermal, the contractual partners and more.
When Ethiopia’s resources in the geothermal energy sector are utilized both in the government and the private sector, it will be an additional potential for our country’s energy supply, Minister of Mines Takele Uma (Eng) said following the agreement.
TM Geothermal operation PLC (TMGO), which has been on the duty to produce geothermal power in Arsi Iteya over the past years, will generate 50 Mwt power in the first chapter, he further stated in his official Facebook post on Thursday. He also stated that the company had signed a 100m USD agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation and SEPCO III Electric Power Construction CO, ltd to carry out the geothermal power plant construction.
The power generation is scheduled to be completed in two years and generate power, according to the agreement.
Exploration for geothermal energy in Ethiopia was started in 1969 with initial surface geology, geochemistry, air photo interpretations, and infra-red airborne survey investigations according to the UNDP. These were later complimented by focused hydro-chemical and isotopic studies.
Twenty-five prospects have thus far been deemed to be suitable for electricity generation, many of which are associated with Quaternary volcanism. Among these areas, Aluto-Langano is the only prospect to have ever produced geothermal energy. Near-future installation of pilot power plants are anticipated in Tendaho, Corbetti, Tulu Moye, and Abaya geothermal fields, various research findings indicated.
According to the recent review by WIREs Water, an interdisciplinary review provider, Ethiopia has an estimated 10,000 MW of geothermal energy potential, more than double its current power generating capacity (4,400 MW). Electricity access stands at 44 percent of the total population, with 31 percent in rural areas, so effective development of this low-carbon resource could make a significant impact to equitable delivery of electricity.
However, geothermal energy exploitation must be done responsibly to protect valuable water resources under stress from climate-change driven drought conditions and competing uses across agricultural, domestic, and industrial sectors.
Recent review provides progress updates on geothermal developments which soon aim to deliver more than 1,000 MW of electricity and performs a high-level assessment of hydro-chemical data for ground and surface waters across Ethiopia.
The water quality database was built using publicly available information and three quality control criteria: well-defined sample location, cation-anion balance (CAB) of 10 percent and clear fluid type definition.
Accordingly, Ethiopia hosts two major geothermal water types, sodium-alkalinity dominated in the Main Ethiopian Rift and sodium-chloride dominated in the Afar Depression, separated by sodium-mixed waters between Dofan-Fantale and Meteka H and O stable isotopes suggest a largely meteoric source for geothermal waters with enrichment adding to evidence of a high enthalpy resource at Tendaho.
Hydro-chemical investigations provide critical information for successful delivery of sustainable geothermal energy developments stated that the current lack of data available for Ethiopia poses a significant challenge for completion of predevelopment baselines and ongoing environmental impact assessment.
Thus, the findings encouraged the release of unpublished findings from private companies and government agencies to build upon our database and demonstrate social and environmental responsibility in the development of Ethiopian geothermal resources.
High level assessment of hydro-chemical and isotopic data from scientific journals and publicly available reports emphasizes their usefulness for the characterization of geothermal resources in Ethiopia. Considering the comparatively low cost of hydro-chemical investigations, within the context of geothermal power-plant delivery, and the important information these can deliver with respect to subsurface conditions and infrastructure considerations, prospective operators should invest in this area to ensure effective and sustainable energy production. Care should also be taken to recognize geothermal fluid communication with wider hydrological systems in order to avoid contamination of important already-stressed water resources with potentially toxic concentrations of fluoride or dissolved trace elements.
Further information exits in private and proprietary reports, but the volume and thoroughness of these additional efforts is uncertain as it is currently unavailable for assessment by the scientific community. With the limited information currently available, it is difficult to perform adequate baselines for investigations into geothermal resource behavior and any potential environmental impacts resulting from their exploitation. The review by WIREs water highlights the importance of the determination of natural (seasonal and climate change related) and anthropogenic (industrial and agricultural processes) hydro-chemical variability to enable effective monitoring of geothermal energy development and production.
BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 APRIL 2022
