Rwanda is exploring the use of geothermal energy, a form of heat from the Earth's core, as the country looks to diversify its energy sources. This exploration could help the country reduce its reliance on imported energy.

"We are focusing on developing direct heat utilisation and continuing exploration for deeper resources to produce electricity in the future,” Eugene Karangwa, Head of Alternative Energies and Geothermal at Rwanda Energy Group (REG), told The New Times in an exclusive interview.

Rwanda's geothermal energy comes from a geological area called the Kivu Rift, which stretches across parts of East Africa, including Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

The Kivu Rift is part of the East African Rift System. This is a large area of geological activity where the Earth's tectonic plates are slowly moving apart.

According to Karangwa, unlike the eastern branch in Kenya and Ethiopia, the Kivu Rift presents unique challenges and opportunities for geothermal development. "The western branch of the East African Rift System contains vast, untapped natural resources.”

Rwanda's geothermal resources are different from Kenya's. This means that the temperature of the hot water or steam beneath the ground is different in Rwanda compared to Kenya.

As a result, the country is using a different approach to geothermal development. Rwanda is focusing on using the heat directly for things like heating and drying, rather than just using it to generate electricity.

Officials said they are collaborating with the United Nations, particularly the UN Environment Programme, to learn more about how to best use their geothermal resources.

Drilling is costly

One of the major challenges that hampers the fast development of geothermal in Rwanda is its costly nature. The government says the cost of drilling wells remains high.

"We are trying to secure funding to drill deeper and develop a pilot project combining geothermal with solar energy for a cold storage system,” Karangwa explained.

The government plays part in supporting the sector, for instance, it contributed around $200,000, which is about 20 per cent of the total $800,000 required in exploration of the Gisenyi geothermal prospect.

REG is also collaborating with European and Kenyan universities under the African Union and European Union Renewable Energy framework. Rwanda was selected as a pilot site for the "Geothermal Village" concept.

Rwanda has also tapped into grants to finance some of geothermal related development activities. In addition, the government is figuring out the right approach to engage green energy partners to establish a risk-sharing mechanism.

This means that to attract private investment, a fund could be set up where a private company drills wells, and if the wells are unsuccessful, a portion of the cost would be covered by the fund, reducing the risk for the private sector.

Negotiations with the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility (GRMF) are underway to secure funding. "We are qualified, but the government also needs to contribute some funds.”

Tapping into technology

Rwanda is leveraging technology for exploration activities, with officials saying that latest technologies offer a chance for authorities to conduct deeper research aimed at accelerating the development of geothermal energy.

The success of this exploration stage, which will include drilling of shallow wells to understand the reservoir better, will determine how much Rwanda could generate in form of power from geothermal sources.

"For electricity production, we need to drill deep wells, and many of them, to build a power plant. At this stage, we are focusing on developing direct heat utilisation and continuing exploration for deeper resources to produce electricity in the future,” Karangwa explained.

A recent report shows that Rwanda is planning to add 30 megawatts of geothermal power to its electricity grid. This will help meet the country's growing energy needs.

Rwanda Energy Group is considering multiple applications of geothermal resources, such as agro-food processing, small-scale fisheries, vegetable drying, cold storage, and other industrial processes that require heat.

Temperatures around 100 degrees Celsius or lower can be used for applications such as milk pasteurisation, crop drying, and cold storage to prevent post-harvest losses.

"One problem we're addressing is the drying of rice to maintain its quality from farm to factory. There are also issues with preserving fruits and vegetables, which could benefit from geothermal heat.” Karangwa noted.