In Ethiopia and Kenya, a new system called Combi-Gen will use geothermal heat to generate both electricity and clean drinking water at the same time. Around 50 million people in Ethiopia lack safe water, and the country’s worst drought in 50 years has left 18 million needing urgent aid. In Kenya, only 41% of the population has safe water. Both countries are also energy-poor: Ethiopia’s 2 GW of generation capacity meets just 10% of demand and reaches only 12% of the population; Kenya’s 2.2 GW reaches 55% of households but suffers frequent blackouts. Geothermal resources remain vastly underused. Combi-Gen aims to change that by producing power and freshwater simultaneously from a single geothermal source, improving resource efficiency. If widely installed, the system could provide reliable renewable energy and clean water, supporting economic development and employment growth. This project directly addresses the twin challenges of water scarcity and energy shortage that have long held back infrastructure and poverty reduction in the region.
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Lack of safe and clean water is a long-standing challenges in much of Africa, and especially in Ethiopia and Kenya. Around 50 million people in Ethiopia lack access to safe water, and the country is currently suffering from its worst drought for 50 years, leaving some 18 million people in need of urgent aid. Similarly, only 41% out of the Kenyan population of ~ 47 million have access to safe water. Despite substantial undeveloped renewable resources, both Ethiopia and Kenya are energy poor. Ethiopia has around 2 GW of electricity generation capacity, meeting only 10% of national electricity demand, and reaching only 12% of the population. Kenya, with an installed electricity capacity around only 2.2 GW, has better grid connectivity, reaching about 55% of its households, but is still plagued by frequent, lengthy outages. In both countries, geothermal energy is vastly under-utilised and represents an exciting opportunity of addressing energy challenges, alleviating poverty, and promoting economic development. The Combi-Gen project aims to develop a novel geothermally sourced-combined power and freshwater generation technology, which promises to initiate a genuinely innovative shift in the engineering response to the twin challenges of energy shortage and water-scarcity in Ethiopia and Kenya. The research will provide a novel technology that can significantly improve the utilisation of the precious geothermal resources in Ethiopia and Kenya, and can produce both power and freshwater simultaneous to address the long-standing twin challenge of water and energy shortage in both countries and others of this kind. Once the developed Combi-Gen system is widely installed, it will contribute to sustainable development through reliable renewable energy and freshwater generation, and a reduction in poverty through promoting economic development and employment growth. Combi-Gen tackles a number of key priorities for development identified by the GRCF that relate to challenges of health, clean energy, safe water, sustainable agriculture, and foundations for inclusive growth. The core of the project is to tackle challenges associated with 'Sustainable infrastructure development'. The geothermal focus is strategically aligned with the government energy policy priorities on developing renewable and sustainable energy to meet power demand in both countries.
Adrian Boyce (Co-Investigator)Elias Lewi Teklemariam (Co-Investigator)L He (Co-Investigator)Mia Perry (Co-Investigator)Neil Burnside (Co-Investigator)Zhibin Yu (Principal Investigator)
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