Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to accelerate geothermal power: Lessons from Kenya

Kenya aims to expand its geothermal power capacity to 5,000 MW by 2030 to support low-carbon development and reduce reliance on hydropower. To achieve this, the government developed a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) designed to mobilise private sector investment and international technical support. While Kenya had an installed geothermal capacity of approximately 340 MW as of October 2014, the development of the NAMA faced hurdles including stakeholder buy-in, securing financial partners, and addressing 'additionality' questions. Lessons learned emphasize the importance of tailored communication and aligning the NAMA's scope with broader sectoral transformation.

• Kenya has established ambitious geothermal energy targets, aiming for a total production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, with a medium-term goal of 1,887 MW by 2017. As of October 2014, the installed capacity stood at approximately 340 MW.
• The geothermal NAMA was created to attract private sector involvement and international climate finance to support the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP). A sub-component of this NAMA was submitted to the NAMA Facility in July 2014 for funding.
• The process of developing the NAMA encountered several obstacles, specifically regarding the documentation of the NAMA, securing financial partners, obtaining stakeholder buy-in, and addressing issues of 'additionality'.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2014). Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to accelerate geothermal power: Lessons from Kenya. https://cdkn.org/resource/nama-geothermal-power-lessons-kenya

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to accelerate geothermal power: Lessons from Kenya. 2014. https://cdkn.org/resource/nama-geothermal-power-lessons-kenya.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to accelerate geothermal power: Lessons from Kenya |date=3 December 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/nama-geothermal-power-lessons-kenya |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2014nationally, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to accelerate geothermal power: Lessons from Kenya}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = dec, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/nama-geothermal-power-lessons-kenya}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }