Geothermal Development in Malawi – A Country Update

Abstract

Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa, has major electricity generating difficulties, due to limited conventional fossil fuel resources and an over-reliance on one form of electricity generation, viz. hydroelectricity, with consequent severe shortages during the dry season, and a significant gap between electricity supply and demand. Due to its location within the East African Rift System (EARS), one of the hottest geothermal zones in the world, it is endowed with significant potential geothermal energy resources. In recent decades, there has been major global growth in geothermal energy utilization, both in direct utilization applications and in electricity generation. However, despite its favourable location, Malawi has been slow in harnessing its potentially significant geothermal resources.

Geological investigations of the Malawi sector of the EARS indicate that the Malawi rift is controlled by N-S rift parallel normal faults, that also control upwards migration of the geothermal waters feeding hot springs, which occur along the length of the rift. The hot springs with most potential for electricity generation occur mainly in the northern half of the country and are thought to be sourced from porous sedimentary reservoirs at depth, either deeply buried young Neogene rift floor deposits or older Karoo sandstones, occurring in fault-bound basins within the Precambrian framework of the country.

A recent investigation to catalogue all of the hot springs in Malawi has led to the identification of 15 previously undocumented springs including the third hottest spring recorded in the investigation. This exercise has resulted in the delineation of 6 or 7 groups of springs with appropriate temperatures and geological settings that suggest a potential for electricity generation. These merit further more detailed surface geological, geophysical and geochemical exploration and monitoring, which should be undertaken, prior to any decisions on drilling. Other lower temperature hot springs in the country have the potential for utilisation for various direct applications, which could bring major benefits to local communities.

Major challenges hindering geothermal development in Malawi have been the absence of both technical and financial capacity, and the lack of government leadership in spearheading an assessment of the geothermal resources of the country. This has resulted in a spirit of individualism, coupled with an absence of collaborative cooperation between government agencies, research organisations and institutes of higher learning, which has led to failure to share information, consequent duplication of tasks and unnecessary waste of resources. However, a geothermal working group has recently been formed within the country, consisting of all the stakeholders from government, industry, research organisations and teaching institutes, and this body will chart the future progress in the development of Malawi’s geothermal resources.

Malawi also needs to develop its technical capacity through specialised geothermal training programmes such as the United Nations University - Geothermal Training Program (UNU-GTP) in Iceland and the Postgraduate Certificate in Geothermal Energy Technology (PGCertGeothermTech) at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. With support from UNU – GTP and Government of Kenya, six Malawians have undergone a three week course in surface exploration of geothermal resources and one has been given a six month training fellowship to study geothermal and geological exploration.