Launched on 2 July 2026 in Moroni, the Karthala Geothermal Exploration Project (PEGK) mobilises over 33.5 million units of account from the African Development Bank, UNDP/GEF, the African Union, and the Comorian government. The goal: to confirm and harness the Karthala volcano's estimated 45 MW potential and end a energy dependency that costs the Comoros $0.78 per kilowatt-hour.
A volcano as a lever for sovereignty
The Comoros currently pays some of the highest electricity prices in the region. With a production cost of $0.78/kWh — five to six times the French average — and an electricity access rate capped at 50% of the population, dependence on imported fuels weighs heavily on households, businesses, and public finances. Chronic power outages have long deterred private investment and economic transformation across the archipelago.
The Karthala volcano, an active stratovolcano rising to 2,361 metres on Grande Comore, holds an estimated geothermal potential of 45 MW. Should the exploration phase confirm the resource, a 15 MW pilot plant could be built first, scaling up to full capacity in subsequent phases. This is the ambition of the PEGK — the product of an unprecedented coalition between the AfDB, UNDP, the African Union, and the government of the Union of Comoros.
33.5 million units of account to cut the energy bill
The project is financed to the tune of over 33.5 million units of account, primarily from the African Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility through UNDP. Funds will cover exploratory drilling, resource characterisation, and national capacity-building through the Comorian Geological Bureau (BGC).
« Geothermal is not only energy; it is an investment in the energy sovereignty and sustainable development of the Comoros, » declared the UNDP Comoros representative at the official launch in Moroni. The formula captures the stakes: for the archipelago, harnessing the Karthala is not a technical exercise — it is an economic policy decision.
A signal for regional investors
If the PEGK succeeds, the Comoros will join the still-narrow club of African island states capable of producing competitive local electricity. The archipelago would gain a real comparative advantage for attracting energy-intensive industries and reduce its vulnerability to oil-price shocks. The fuel shortage that paralysed the economy for several days at the end of June 2026 was a stark reminder of how structurally dangerous this dependency remains.
For other Indian Ocean island states facing similar challenges, the Comorian model offers a blueprint: multilateral financing, endogenous resources, continental partnership.
Why it matters
The Karthala is not just a volcano — it is the cornerstone of Comorian energy independence. If the exploration phase proves conclusive, the Comoros could cut its electricity production cost threefold, freeing up significant fiscal space and making the territory attractive for investments previously out of reach. In a region where competitiveness is increasingly decided by energy costs, this project deserves close attention.
Sources: UNDP Comoros (PEGK launch, 2 July 2026), HabarizaComores.com, La 1ère Réunion.