Opportunities and Challenges of Developing Geothermal in Developing Countries – a Case of Malawi

Abstract

It has been reported that the East African Rift System promises a lot of energy potential to feed its respective countries. However not much has been done to realize the promise. Malawi, which is within the EARS, has its energy needs predominantly met by biomass, hydroelectricity and fossil fuels. The electricity connectivity of Malawi is at about 8% of national population despite having the promise underneath. Geothermal energy provides an opportunity for electricity generation. With the prospected subsurface temperatures, Malawi can likely develop geothermal electricity using binary power plants as well as low pressure single flash plants. Located within the tropics, Malawi enjoys abundance of sunshine and uses the heat from sunshine for various drying purposes coupled with biomass, coal and fossil fuel for the same use and others. However, the sun drying techniques provide little control on the drying processes leading to poor and low standard products. The use of biomass and fossil fuels is not environmentally friendly leading to environmental degradation and increase of carbon emission into the atmosphere. The use of geothermal in this aspect would therefore help in various drying processes like fish and crop drying to meet specific standards while conserving the environment. As a developing nation Malawi faces some challenges in its quest to develop the geothermal resource. The abundant presence of sunshine that has been used for various drying processes for ages, has kept people not to think of any other means of process drying. The highest office has no political will on geothermal development. The country does not have a policy to guide the development process. The initial high costs of development and lack of funding opportunities coupled with the absence of policy also obstructs the development. Challenge in technical competence among professionals to develop geothermal as well as inadequate studies that ascertain the extent of the resource that Malawi has. There is need to come up with a national geothermal development steering committee that can assist in lobbying for the recognition of geothermal potential in offices of decision making and help in coming up with a road map for geothermal development. Commitment to coming up with a geothermal policy that would guide geothermal development, continue with the capacity building through the various available geothermal training programmes. Various concerned departments to streamline geothermal studies within their departmental budgets.