Geothermal Training in Iceland 2014

The 36th annual session of UNU-GTP was held from April to October 2014. A total of twenty nine UNU Fellows from fourteen countries in six continents completed the traditional six-month courses. They came from Bolivia (1), China (1), Djibouti (2), Ecuador (1), El Salvador (2), Ethiopia (2), Iran (1), Kenya (11), Papua New Guinea (1), Portugal (2), Rwanda (2), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (1), Sudan (1), and Tanzania (1). The UNU Fellows were trained in six lines of specialization in 2014, in: Chemistry of Thermal Fluids (7 Fellows), Reservoir Engineering (6), Drilling Technology (5), Geothermal Utilization (5), Borehole Geology (4) and Environmental Science (2). They were all on fellowships from the Icelandic Government and the UNU. Nine UNU Fellowships were co-funded by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and Geothermal Development Company (GDC) in Kenya, two Portuguese from the Azores were co-funded by the EES-Grants system, and one from Ethiopia was co-funded by ICEIDA. Five new countries were added in the 6-month training in 2014, UNU Fellows from Bolivia and Ecuador were the first to come from S-America, while other new countries include St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan and Portugal. Thus, during 1979-2014, 583 scientists and engineers from 58 countries have completed the annual six-month courses, or equivalent. Of these, 37% have come from countries in Asia, 36% from Africa, 15% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 11% from Central and Eastern Europe, and 1% from Oceania. Among them have been 118 women (20%). Over 90 professionals have received shorter training in Iceland (2 weeks to 4 months).