Wind power in Kenya

Wind power in Kenya contributes only a small amount of the country's electrical power. However, its share in energy production is increasing. Kenya aims to generate 2,036 MW of wind power, or 9% of the country's total capacity, by 2030.[2]

KenGen Wind Power, Ngong
Mean Wind Speed in Kenya.[1]

Kenya has one major wind farm, Ngong Hills Wind Farm, located in Ngong, Kajiado County. It produces around 5.1 MW of electricity.[3] It is owned by Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and cost KES 1.6 billion (US$18 million) to construct.

Notable projects

Lake Turkana Wind Power

Kenya is building the largest wind farm in Africa, the Lake Turkana Wind Power consortium (LTWP). It aims to provide 300 MW of low-cost electrical power. With a projected cost of KES 70 billion (US$800 million), it would be the largest single private investment in Kenya's history.[4] This wind farm would allow Kenya to eliminate its thermal generating plants, saving KES 15.6 billion (US$180 million) per year on imported fuel. The project would stimulate the Kenyan economy by contributing KES 3 billion (US$35 million) every year in tax revenue, a total of KES 58.6 billion (US$673 million) over the life of the project.

According to a case study from the Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP), the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project will increase the national electricity supply while creating jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 310 MW of wind energy capacity will:

  • mitigate greenhouse gas emissions equal to 740,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2eq) annually
  • increase national electricity supply by 15–20% (relative to 2015 generating capacity)
  • enhance reliability of energy supply
  • stabilise energy prices
  • create more than 2,000 local jobs including 150 permanent jobs
  • mitigate human health impacts from harmful air pollutants
  • improve access to food, health facilities, and water through corporate social responsibility programs
  • increase income generating opportunities
  • improve local education[5]

Wind power facilities in Kenya
Operational
PlantCapacity (MW)Status
Lake Turkana Wind Power Station310Commissioned 2019
Ngong Hills Wind Farm25Commissioned 2013-2016[6]
Planned
PlantCapacity (MW)Status
Meru Wind Power Station100Planned[7]
Isiolo Wind150Commissioned in July 2013
Marsabit Wind50Feasibility ongoing

Source: KenGen

See also

References
  1. "Global Wind Atlas". Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  2. (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20130613001823/http://www.iaea.org/nuclearenergy/nuclearknowledge/schools/NEM-school/2012/Japan/PDFs/week2/CR6_Kenya.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 13, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. "Ngong Hills wind farm". thewindpower.net. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  4. Xan Rice. "Kenya to build Africa's biggest windfarm". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  5. "Benefits of low emission development strategies: The case of Kenya's Lake Turkana Wind Power Project". Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP). Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  6. CRO (12 August 2015). "Constructed Ngong wind power plant is to be commissioned in Kenya". Construction Review Online. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  7. Mutegi, Mugambi (2 July 2015). "KenGen in 400MW wind power farm plan for Meru". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
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