Africa’s largest wind power farm helps Kenya to make 100 pct green energy by 2020

With an aim to enhance electricity-producing capacity, Kenya has recently launched Africa's largest wind power farm in a rocky desert around 600 km north of the capital Nairobi. This East African country wants to fulfil its goal of making 100 percent green energy by the year 2020.

This gigantic wind farm in Kenya boasts 365 wind turbines is expected to assist the country to pave its way to reach its 100 percent green energy target by 2020. Spread over a large area of 40,000 acres, the wind farm will produce around 310 megawatt of power, which is considered adequate to light up over 300,000 households.

An international group of producers and lenders including the experts from African Development Bank also arrived to install and witness the 365 wind turbines, after which Kenya has become the creator and owner of the largest wind power farm in the African continent. The newly launched farm called the Lake Turkana Wind Power will produce around 310 megawatts of power and augment the country's electric supply but 13 percent. The 52-meter blade span windmills will take advantage of high winds in the remote area.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) served as lead arranger for €436 million in senior credit facilities towards the project cost of €623 million euros. AfDB also provided a partial risk guarantee from the African Development Fund of €20 million for the part of the project devoted to the transmission lines, as reported by ESI Africa.

Kenya earlier also successfully made progress in pumping out the fund in clean sources of energy. The Renewables 2018 Global Status report cited that Kenya is 9^th over the planet for its geothermal power generating a capacity of up to 700 megawatts.

"We again raise the bar for the continent…Kenya is without a doubt on course to be a global leader in renewable energy," Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said. He also said that since the connection of Turkana project to the national grid in September 2018, the plant injected over 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and secured taxpayers up to 8 billion shillings (USD 77.5 million) from reduced usage of diesel-generated thermal power.

AfDB's President, Akinwumi Adesina commented on this project saying, "Projects like the Lake Turkana Wind Power allow us to leap forward towards our key objectives. The Bank is very proud to be associated with this crucial addition to African infrastructure and clean energy generation."

Overall, the successful creation of Africa's largest wind power farm is undeniably a testimony to verify Kenya's commitment of pursuing clean source of energy and bring in the nation's global commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

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