The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in collaboration with Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) hosted the 1st phase of Italy to Kenya Geothermal Business and Investment Forum aimed at introducing innovative solutions towards businesses, investments and future partnerships.
The forum themed, Fostering international partnerships between companies and institutions in the Energy and Environment sector' seeks to offer comprehensive overview illustrating legal frameworks, potentials and challenges faced.
Presiding over the forum at the Kawi Complex Auditorium, State Department for Energy Principal Secretary (PS) Alex Wachira said that energy is a basic input in the production and consumption process and added that it is instrumental in industrial productivity and economic growth in this modern economy.
He added that energy production is the single biggest contributor to global warming citing that Kenya has not been spared the severe negative impacts of climate change.
"We are currently experiencing severe drought with widespread livelihood loses and massive displacement of populations due to the immeasurable drought situation. More than 4.2 million Kenyans equivalent to 24 percent in the arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) are facing acute food security," said Wachira.
The PS noted that the world has transitioned energywise with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Affordable and Clean Energy' thereby challenging the country to accelerate and increase the transition to net zero emissions.
"Energy is a strategic resource for all economic activities for many countries globally including Kenya. Energy Security faces a myriad of challenges that have adversely impacted nearly all factors of production," Wachira.
In addition, he said that the Russia and Ukraine War had occasioned countries to experience unprecedented shortages of fuel among other critical resources bearing in mind that the government has prioritised geothermal energy development as the de-facto base load amongst vast and rich renewable energy sources.
Wachira lauded the government's effort to increase the national installed electricity capacity from the current 1000 Megawatts to about 10,000Megawatts as outlined in the National Least Cost Power Plan from the year 2017 to 2037 with the bulk drawn from geothermal energy.
