The Tulu Moye Geothermal Operation (TMGO), Ethiopia’s first geothermal project owned by both public and private entities, has announced that it has began drilling operation at a second site. The project is going to consist of three sites in total, the second one being located the Tulu Moye Volcano.
The Tulu Moye Volcano is located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia region and is expected to generate more than 150 megawatts of energy by 2025. TMGO acquired the rights for the project on March 31st after signing a power purchase and implementation agreement.
A first of its kind, the project includes the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPC), the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Electricity. Ethiopian Electric Power plans on buying power from the project for the next 25 years.
Officials and experts estimate that the project will require more than 800 million USD in investments that are going to be implemented in two phases.
The project is also expected to start generating at least 50 megawatts of power by February of 2023 after the completion of the first phase. The project has been supported by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) which donated 1.1 million USD for feasability studies in 2018.