The Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is a wholly owned
parastatal
A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...
of the
Government of Kenya. It is mandated to execute surface geothermal development, including prospecting for, drilling, harnessing and selling
geothermal energy to electricity-generating companies for energy production and sale to the national grid.
Location
The headquarters of GDC are located in the capital city of
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
, at Kawi House, in the neighborhood known as
South C
South C (also known as Southside or South Compton) is a middle-class residential estate located in the southland area of Nairobi.
South C lies next to Wilson Airport. It is bordered by South B to the East, Langata Estate to the west and the Nairo ...
.
Overview
The
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
was heavily dependent on
hydroelectric energy
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
from the time of independence until the early 2000s. Due to unpredictable rainfall patterns, the levels of the country's rivers fell and Kenya underwent a marked reduction in electricity output in the 2003 - 2006 time frame.
In an attempt to reduce the over-reliance on hydroelectric energy and its susceptibility to weather changes, GDC was formed in 2008 as a
Special Purpose Vehicle to carry out rapid geothermal exploration and drilling in the country to enable the
Kenya Electricity Generating Company and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to build power stations and not only diversify the national electricity grid,
but also to fulfil a pledge to install 5,000 MW of electricity in the country by the year 2030.
Outside development partners have offered help. GDC has plans to develop academic courses in geothermal energy at Kenyan universities, starting with courses at
Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (or DeKUT) is a public, coeducational technological university in Nyeri, Kenya
)
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.
Recent developments
In November 2015, seven senior managers' employment at GDC was terminated due to tendering irregularities. In August 2016, replacements for those terminated executives were advertised. In the 12 months ending 30 June 2015, the agency is reported to have made an after-tax profit of KES:1.6 billion (USD:16 million).
In 2020, a new CEO was appointed to head the organisation, replacing the previous one who served for one term.
See also
*
List of power stations in Kenya
The following page lists power stations in Kenya.
Geothermal
Hydroelectric
Fossil fuels: oil, coal, and gas
Wind
Solar
See also
* Energy in Kenya
* List of largest power stations in the world
* List of power stations in A ...
*
Kenya Electricity Generating Company
*
Kenya Power and Lighting Company
Kenya Power and Lighting Company, commonly referred to as Kenya Power or shortened KPLC, is a public liability company which transmits, distributes and retails electricity to customers throughout Kenya.
Location
KPLC headquarters are at Stima P ...
*
Geothermal power in Kenya
References
{{reflist
External links
Website of Geothermal Development CompanyWebsite of the Ministry of Energy
Energy in Kenya
Economy of Kenya
Geography of Kenya
Nairobi