DDzx,Since KEN is in dire straights for lack of funding the...

DDzx,

Since KEN is in dire straights for lack of funding the Vanuatu project is a real back saver. The local population find it hard to compete commercially on a world wide basis and yet they have to pay $500 per MWh for electricity provided by diesel. Imagine what might happen if these costs could be reduced to just $200 /MWh. Small industries could afford to use power tools, local people could afford to get connected, the tourist industry would get a real boost. Base load power requirements are now just 4MW but once people recognise that electric power is no longer a luxury the demand could increase by 50% very quickly.

For a small generating plant the costs would be much greater than the $50 - 60 per MWh that we pay in large cities, hence my rough estimate of $200 per MWh for Vanuatu. The resistivity diagrams published yesterday suggest that all the action will be at less than 700 m. That's about a cork screw distance. The deep wells that are usually very expensive, here would be narrow bore and cheap. KEN staff in their usual careful vein are double checking to ensure that they are interpreting heat sources correctly in order to find the optimum locations.

There are many other communities around the Pacific that presently pay prohibitive power prices. Various specialist sources of assistance funding exist for less developed nations and McDonald is testing these very sensitively. While honing their expertise KEN can be generating income until the funding situation in Tasmania becomes clarified.

Juke