Kenya, UAE firms to build 1st ever geothermal-powered mega data centre in the country

President William Ruto on Wednesday witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates that will see the development in the country of the first-ever data centre powered by geothermal energy.

The agreement between Kenya’s EcoCloud and UAE’s G42 will see the construction of a mega data centre, thus propelling Kenya’s digital economy to greater heights.

Strategically located in Kenya's geothermal-rich region, the EcoCloud-G42 Mega Data Center is planned to have initial capacity of 100 Megawatts but with the potential to build up to 1 Gigawatt, setting a new standard for sustainable data centers.

President William Ruto witnesses the signing of an MOU between Kenya’s EcoCloud and UAE’s G42 President William Ruto witnesses the signing of an MOU between Kenya’s EcoCloud and UAE’s G42 Pulse Live Kenya

“By harnessing geothermal energy, we are not only meeting the region’s data needs but also setting a new standard for eco-friendly infrastructure,” said Amos Siwoi, CEO of EcoCloud.

“This geothermal-powered data centre is a milestone towards realising Kenya’s potential as a global digital hub and fulfilling our mission of making intelligence accessible to everyone, everywhere,” said Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42.

EcoCloud is provider of data centre solutions, while G42 is involved in creating visionary artificial intelligence.

The project hopes to use Kenya’s vast untapped geothermal potential by putting up an initial 100MW facility, which will be scaled up over the years.

At full capacity, the facility will reduce Kenya’s dependency on fossil fuel, cut carbon emissions and contribute towards environmental conservation.

This strategic partnership is expected to foster a robust digital infrastructure that will accelerate the country's digital transformation and also fortifies its position as a leader in technology-driven development.