Mainstream Renewable Power (MRP) has started turbine installation at the 158MW Taiba N’Diaye wind farm, located in Senegal.
Powered by 46 turbines, the wind farm is expected to be one of the largest in West Africa. Located 90km northwest of the capital Dakar, each of the Vestas wind turbines will generate up to 3.45MW.
The wind farm is being developed by Mainstream Renewable Power’s African joint venture Lekela.
Taiba N’Diaye is the first utility scale wind project in Senegal
As the first utility-scale wind project, the Taiba N’Diaye wind farm will generate about 450,000MWh of clean electricity, while offsetting 300,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Mainstream expects the wind farm to boost the country’s energy generation capacity by 15%. The power generated by the wind farm will be sufficient to meet the electricity needs of two million people, when it starts operating later this year.
The wind project, which is expected to provide employment to 400 people during the construction phase, reached financial close in July 2018.
Lekela Senegal general manager Massaer Cisse said: “Seeing the first turbine go up has been a moment of great pride for all of us who have worked hard in making Taiba N’Diaye a reality. We are excited to build the rest of the turbines, which uses the latest technology to harness the best in a renewable energy source.
“What’s more, the construction has generated hundreds of employment opportunities. We have also worked closely with local stakeholders to create a 20-year social investment programme that will benefit the local area. This includes initiatives that will create infrastructure and services for workers, and also encourage local enterprise and school education.”
In July, Mainstream received Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) from the Antofagasta region’s Environmental Evaluation Service for its Llanos del Viento wind farm in Chine.
To be built with an investment of £329m, the project will feature a total of 42 wind turbines that will generate enough electricity to meet the annual energy consumption of around 168,000 homes.
