The East African Rift System (EARS) offers great potential for power generation from geothermal resources. An increasing number of geothermal projects are planned in the countries along the rift. While Kenya is already one of the world’s largest electricity providers from geothermal resources, the government of Tanzania is just starting now to explore its geothermal potential.
The specific geology of the EARS, which is often marked by carbonatitic volcanic rocks, alkaline geothermal fluids and alkaline lakes, makes it one of the target sites of the CRM-geothermal project because it is likely that precious metals and gases are enriched in these waters.
To investigate this, researchers from GFZ and JUB launched a sampling campaign, in October 2022, to collect samples of water (lakes and hot springs), gas and rocks along the rift with a special focus on analysing their content in critical raw materials.
The expedition started in the North of Tanzania (area of Lake Eyasi) and continued South via Lake Magadi, Ngorongoro National Parc, Lake Natron, Manyara, Msule, Singida, Songwe, Kiejo-Mbaka (the first geothermal well drilled), down to Lake Malawi.
