“The average wind speed is approximately 11 metres per second and wind blows consistently from the South East.”/FILE
The project will provide 300 Megawatts (MW) of reliable, low cost wind power to the Kenya national grid, equivalent to approximately 20 percent of the current installed electricity generating capacity.
The wind farm site, covering 40,000 acres is located in Loyangalani District, west of Marsabit County, in north-eastern Kenya and LTWP Chairman Carlo Van Wageningen said that the wind energy resource at Lake Turkana is exceptional.
“The average wind speed is approximately 11 metres per second and wind blows consistently from the South East. Given this exceptional wind resource at the project site, the project will be a reliable and cost effective source of energy for the entire country,” he added.
Van Wageningen noted that in addition to providing reliable low cost power, the project will bring numerous macroeconomic, community and social benefits for the region.
“During the 32 month construction period, up to approximately 2,500 jobs will be created followed by over 200 full time jobs throughout the period of operations, mainly targeting local Kenyans,” he revealed.
“We will be implementing a comprehensive training and international skill transfer program that will not only build capacity for individuals, but also intellectually benefit Kenya as a whole,” he added.
The Government’s Least Cost Development Power Plan shows that LTWP wind power will be one of the least cost power generation options available in the country along with geothermal power and at even less cost than the feed in tariff for other wind projects.
The project will replace the need for Kenya to spend approximately Sh15.6 billion per year on importing fuel.
“This project reduces the need to depend on unreliable hydro and on expensive, unpredictably priced fossil fuel based power generation and insulates Kenya’s power tariff by providing a low and consistent power price,” the Director General of Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat Mugo Kibati said.
