The €625m facility, which is considered to be Africa’s largest wind power project, will feature 365 Vestas V52-850kW wind turbine generators.
A 450km transmission line is also being constructed by Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), which is the Kenyan national grid company, to connect the outskirts of Nairobi to Loyangalani. This will allow electrification of nearby rural areas.
Mott MacDonald is providing construction and operations monitoring of the wind farm as well as environment and social monitoring for the transmission line.
Mott MacDonald project manager Matthias Vinard said: "Once operational, LTWP will provide approximately 15% of total power generation in Kenya, equivalent to approximately 330,000 households."
The 400kV Kenyan transmission line will also support the government’s effort to boost the renewable resources to enhance the economy while meeting the consumer requirements.
Scheduled to be completed early 2017, the wind farm covers 40,000 acres in Loyangalani district, Marsabit West county, in north-eastern Kenya, approximately 50km north of South Horr township.
Image: Kenya aims to generate power from renewable resources. Photo: courtesy of Dr Joseph Valks/Freedigitalphotos.net.
