Eritrea

The graduation photo of the UNU Fellows of the 26th annual course of the UNU Geothermal Training Programme. Source: UNU-GTP

The energy sector in Eritrea
Eritrea depends to 100% on fossil fuel. 80% of the population lives in rural areas where the electrification rate is below 5%. In contrast to other countries along the East African rift valley, there are no big rivers suitable for hydropower dams and the electricity price is the highest in East Africa.

Responsible Entity for Geothermal is the Geological Survey which is under the Department of Mines. The Geological Survey consists of approx. 30 scientists and 20 technicians. Some of the Eritrean geoscientists cooperated during studies of the most promising geothermal site (Alid volcano) e.g. with the US Geological Survey in 1996.

Project description
An appraisal mission of the GEOTHERM Programme took place in November 2003. As a result of that mission BGR supported the participation of two Eritrean scientists to the United Nations University Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP) in Iceland for capacity building to enable them to further investigate their geothermal resources.

A geothermal exploration team has been established in the Geological Survey. This was an important step for a sustainable exploration of the geothermal resources. The further training of geologists, geophysicists and reservoir engineers and the support of other international organisations will hopefully ensure sustainable projects for electricity production from geothermal energy in Eritrea.

Ermias Yohannes in his office in the Geological Survey of Eritrea in November 2003 mapping lime stone deposits by analysing aerial photographs in the northern surrounding of Alid geothermal prospect site for the planned cement factory in this area

The training programme
The 6 months Geothermal Training Programme (GTP) at the United Nations University in Iceland took place from May to October 2004. It contained intensive theoretical and practical training in geological exploration and chemistry of thermal fluids. It resulted in a scientific work of the trainees. Mohammed Omer gave a lecture on geological exploration of a geothermal area in Iceland, and Ermias Yohannes on the geochemical comparison of a geothermal field in Iceland with Alid volcano in Eritrea. Both papers are published in the Yearbook of the GTP. Within the latter study, Ermias Yohannes has presented a detailed reservoir model for Alid volcano reflecting his high skills in geochemistry (as already shown in his diploma thesis on the trace element geochemistry of a granite body in Turkey).

The support through GEOTHERM ended with the training of the two scientists in 2004. In 2014 the Geological Survey has been visited by an AUC delegation, accompanied by a BGR member.