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SDG Short Course I on Exploration and Development of Geothermal Resources to be held in Kenya in November 2016

4 October 2016

UNU-GTP, KenGen and GDC will be hosting SDG Short Course I on Exploration and Development of Geothermal Resources during 10-30 November, by Lake Bogoria and Lake Naivasha in Kenya.

Participation in the short course is by invitation only. The course is mainly aimed at young professionals from Eastern Africa and other African Rift Countries with a diploma or a degree in chemistry, physics, geology (earth sciences), environmental science or engineering, who have been actively involved in geothermal energy research in the home country or are potential candidates for that in the near future. Attendance will be limited to individuals below 35 years of age. Female participation is encouraged.

Organization is in the hands of:

Ingimar G. Haraldsson, Deputy director, UNU-GTP (igh@os.is)
Gabriel Wetangula, Chairman, GDC (gwetangula@gdc.co.ke)
Peketsa Mangi, Secretary, KenGen (pmangi@kengen.co.ke)

For further information please contact one of the above.

The announcement for the Short Course can be seen here.

In 2005 and 2006, UNU-GTP initiated workshops in Kenya and El Salvador, respectively, in order to increase support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.  Both of these workshops were followed up with series of short courses intended for young geothermal professionals in Africa on one hand and in Latin America and the Caribbean on the other.  These successful courses will be continued in support of the recently adopted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects and their Management was held in Kenya in November 2005 in cooperation with Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen).  It was followed up by a series of short courses on exploration for geothermal resources over the period 2006-2015.  Geothermal Development Company Ltd. (GDC) joined as a partner after it commenced operations in 2009.  Over time, the duration of the courses grew from 10 days to 3 weeks and by 2015, 500 people had received training, in addition to the 30 who participated in the initial workshop.  When compared to the total number of Fellows from Africa who received 6 month training in Iceland over the period 2005-2015, 146, it is clear that the short courses have enabled UNU-GTP and its cooperating partners to reach out to a much larger group of people than with the dedicated long term studies in Iceland alone.

Although the training at the short courses covers less ground and doesn’t offer the same possibilities for exploring a particular subject material as the 6 month training, the courses have proven excellent venues of introduction for young professionals to the rich, complex and exciting world of geothermal development.  The participants are given an opportunity to learn from experts with decades of experience, see how field work is carried out, observe different modes of geothermal utilization, ask questions, engage in project work, meet and forge relationships with experts from neighbouring (and far away) countries, and much more.  The courses provide an opportunity for career enhancement and offer a glimpse of possibilities for participants from countries that have just embarked on the voyage of geothermal development.  Participants who have interest and backing from their institutions, and do well at the short courses, may also get an opportunity to enrol in the 6 month studies in Iceland.

With the adoption of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), UNU-GTP and its cooperating partners will be starting a new series of short courses held in support of the goals.  In particular, the aim is to support Goal 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.  Recognizing that geothermal energy prices compare well with other environmentally benign energy sources and that medium to high enthalpy geothermal resources can be used to provide reliable base load power over long periods of time to large populations, the short courses are well suited to help fulfil the goal.  In particular, the courses are expected to contribute to the following targets of Goal 7:

  • By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services;
  • By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix;
  • By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy … ; and
  • By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of support.

 In addition, it is expected that the short course series will contribute to other SDGs, such as:

  • Goal 1:  End poverty in all its forms everywhere.  It is expected that capacity building aimed at enhancing geothermal development will help to bring energy to more people, which in turn will increase their economic opportunities and reduce poverty.  Such opportunities may arise from better and more reliable access to electricity, but also possibilities for direct utilization of geothermal resources in specific areas, such as for drying agricultural products, horticulture, aquaculture, bathing and tourism, and various industrial processes.
  • Goal 3:  Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.  It is expected that access to geothermal energy will increase opportunities for leading healthier lives.  One example is the possibility of changing from biomass cookstoves to electrical cookstoves, with improved and more reliable access to electricity, which has the potential of improving indoor air quality.
  • Goal 5:  Improve gender equality and empower all women and girls.  As before, the nomination of female candidates to the short courses will be encouraged and some preference will be given to women candidates in the selection of participants.
  • Goal 8:  Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.  Economic growth is strongly linked to energy utilization:  in order for an economy to grow, access to energy is of major importance.  This in turn is linked to Goal 1.  It is expected that capacity building aimed at enhancing geothermal development will help realize this goal.
  • Goal 9:  Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.  Geothermal development brings with it construction of energy utilization systems, such as power plants, and calls for a power grid to carry the electricity to consumers.  The availability of energy also promotes industrialization, whether it be through utilization of electricity or heat.
  • Goal 13:  Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.  Greenhouse gas emissions from geothermal utilization projects are significantly lower than the emissions associated with projects that make use of fossil energy.  The utilization of geothermal resources therefore contributes to the mitigation of climate change when used in place of fossil fuels.  Geothermal energy may also be used to help with adaptation where climate change effects are inescapable and negative.
  • Goal 15:  Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.  The utilization of geothermal energy can in some cases help reduce reliance on wood for cooking, which can decrease pressure on forests.
  • Goal 16:  Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.  One of the aims of the short courses is to strengthen relationships between stakeholders in geothermal development within and between countries, for the benefit of geothermal development on national, regional and global scales.  In particular, the short courses are a realization of the following target:  Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation.

In order to further improve the quality of the short courses in Kenya, the short course setup has been reviewed and adjustments have been made with the intent of aligning the courses better with the SDGs.  In addition to greater attention being given to the concept of sustainability in geothermal development, some organizational changes have been made to the programme and lectures have been added on various topics, such as reservoir engineering, planning, project management and economics.  The idea is that while the weight of attention is still placed on exploration for geothermal resources, most other aspects relevant to geothermal development are also addressed to some extent.  Participants should come from the short course with a decent understanding of what geothermal projects entail in their entirety, even though practical training (field and project work) is focused on resource exploration in accordance to the common needs of most participating countries.  Participants will also obtain an updated picture of the potential for, and status of, geothermal development in various African countries through lecture contributions from guest lecturers and fellow participants, and there will be opportunities to see the many faces of geothermal utilization, as practiced in Kenya, first hand.  The hope is that this re-organized short course, built on the solid foundations of earlier short courses, will contribute to the human capacity of geothermal institution and companies in Africa and consequently to geothermal development in the continent.

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