Current Volume 10
Geothermal Power: Policy, Generation, And Prospects: A Decade of Progress (2015–2025) and the Road Ahead: Global, African Continental, and Nigerian Perspectives
Abstract
Geothermal energy is one of the most underutilised yet strategically potent renewable resources in the global energy portfolio, uniquely providing dispatchable baseload electricity with capacity factors exceeding 75–90% — attributes unmatched by solar or wind technologies. This study employs a structured evidence synthesis and multi-scalar policy analysis methodology, integrating quantitative installed-capacity data from IRENA, IEA, and the Global Energy Monitor (2015–2024) with qualitative critical analysis of geothermal policy frameworks across global, African continental, and Nigerian jurisdictional scales. Nigerian geological evidence is drawn from peer-reviewed aeromagnetic, gravity, and heat flow studies of the Benue Trough, Jos Plateau, Niger Delta, Chad Basin, and Anambra Basin. Global installed geothermal capacity grew from 11.84 GW in 2015 to 15.1 GW by end-2024, a 27.6% decadal increase. Africa's installed base remains overwhelmingly concentrated in Kenya (≥985 MW conventional; >1,800 MW total by mid-2025 following Olkaria VI commissioning), with all other sub-Saharan African nations recording negligible commercial capacity. Nigeria currently has zero installed geothermal capacity despite geophysical evidence of elevated heat flow (>155 mW/m² in the Middle Benue Trough), shallow Curie point depths (6.0–8.0 km), and geothermal gradients exceeding 74°C/km — sufficient for binary-cycle ORC generation. Nigeria possesses credible but critically underexplored geothermal potential. The immediate policy priority is a nationally funded pre-competitive geothermal resource survey, complemented by dedicated legislation and a specialised public development agency modelled on Kenya's Geothermal Development Company. The convergence of the IEA's landmark EGS projections (800 GW globally by 2050), Nigeria's energy access deficit, and the enabling provisions of the Electricity Act 2023 creates a strategic window of opportunity demanding urgent policy action.
Keywords
Geothermal Energy, Energy Transition Plan, Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), Binary Cycle ORC, Sustainable Energy, Renewable Baseload
Citations
IRE Journals:
Danjuma T. Theophilus, Paul A. Emmanuel, Michael O. Adeleye, Omolara V. Oyelade, Joseph O. Alao "Geothermal Power: Policy, Generation, And Prospects: A Decade of Progress (2015–2025) and the Road Ahead: Global, African Continental, and Nigerian Perspectives" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 10 Issue 1 2026 Page 1896-1908 https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719546
IEEE:
Danjuma T. Theophilus, Paul A. Emmanuel, Michael O. Adeleye, Omolara V. Oyelade, Joseph O. Alao
"Geothermal Power: Policy, Generation, And Prospects: A Decade of Progress (2015–2025) and the Road Ahead: Global, African Continental, and Nigerian Perspectives" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, vol. 10, no. 1, Jul. 2026, doi: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719546
APA:
Danjuma T. Theophilus, Paul A. Emmanuel, Michael O. Adeleye, Omolara V. Oyelade, Joseph O. Alao
(2026). Geothermal Power: Policy, Generation, And Prospects: A Decade of Progress (2015–2025) and the Road Ahead: Global, African Continental, and Nigerian Perspectives. Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 10(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719546
MLA:
Danjuma T. Theophilus, Paul A. Emmanuel, Michael O. Adeleye, Omolara V. Oyelade, Joseph O. Alao
"Geothermal Power: Policy, Generation, And Prospects: A Decade of Progress (2015–2025) and the Road Ahead: Global, African Continental, and Nigerian Perspectives" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, vol. 10, no. 1, Jul. 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719546
BibTeX
@article{1719546,
author = {Danjuma T. Theophilus, Paul A. Emmanuel, Michael O. Adeleye, Omolara V. Oyelade, Joseph O. Alao},
title = {Geothermal Power: Policy, Generation, And Prospects: A Decade of Progress (2015–2025) and the Road Ahead: Global, African Continental, and Nigerian Perspectives},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {1896-1908},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719546.pdf},
abstract = {Geothermal energy is one of the most underutilised yet strategically potent renewable resources in the global energy portfolio, uniquely providing dispatchable baseload electricity with capacity factors exceeding 75–90% — attributes unmatched by solar or wind technologies. This study employs a structured evidence synthesis and multi-scalar policy analysis methodology, integrating quantitative installed-capacity data from IRENA, IEA, and the Global Energy Monitor (2015–2024) with qualitative critical analysis of geothermal policy frameworks across global, African continental, and Nigerian jurisdictional scales. Nigerian geological evidence is drawn from peer-reviewed aeromagnetic, gravity, and heat flow studies of the Benue Trough, Jos Plateau, Niger Delta, Chad Basin, and Anambra Basin. Global installed geothermal capacity grew from 11.84 GW in 2015 to 15.1 GW by end-2024, a 27.6% decadal increase. Africa's installed base remains overwhelmingly concentrated in Kenya (≥985 MW conventional; >1,800 MW total by mid-2025 following Olkaria VI commissioning), with all other sub-Saharan African nations recording negligible commercial capacity. Nigeria currently has zero installed geothermal capacity despite geophysical evidence of elevated heat flow (>155 mW/m² in the Middle Benue Trough), shallow Curie point depths (6.0–8.0 km), and geothermal gradients exceeding 74°C/km — sufficient for binary-cycle ORC generation. Nigeria possesses credible but critically underexplored geothermal potential. The immediate policy priority is a nationally funded pre-competitive geothermal resource survey, complemented by dedicated legislation and a specialised public development agency modelled on Kenya's Geothermal Development Company. The convergence of the IEA's landmark EGS projections (800 GW globally by 2050), Nigeria's energy access deficit, and the enabling provisions of the Electricity Act 2023 creates a strategic window of opportunity demanding urgent policy action.},
keywords = {Geothermal Energy, Energy Transition Plan, Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), Binary Cycle ORC, Sustainable Energy, Renewable Baseload},
month = {July}
}
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