NAIROBI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's state-owned electric power producer said Wednesday it has started drilling the first geothermal well at Aluto site in central Ethiopia for the country's state utility firm Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP).

Rebecca Miano, CEO of Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), said in a statement issued in Nairobi that the company has so far drilled 29 meters against a possible maximum of 3,000 meters.

Miano added that within the next three weeks, the firm will mobilize specialized drilling services crew including aerated drillers, directional drillers, and reservoir engineers to ensure the project's success.

She noted that drilling a single well usually takes about two months to complete, but KenGen hopes to shorten the period despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move came after the completion of phase one of a contract by a consortium of partners including Chinese equipment and oil services company Kerui Petroleum, under which two rigs were delivered at Aluto site.

Under this project financed by the World Bank through a loan to the Ethiopian government, a total of eight wells will be drilled in lot one using the two rigs.

Kenya is Africa's largest producer of geothermal energy and among the top 10 in the world. Enditem

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