Doldrums despite the wind

In Kenya and other African countries is the enormous potential for wind power, but still it is hardly used.

A fresh easterly wind chasing wisps of clouds over the Ngong Hills south of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. “Up here, it blows with an annual average of ten meters per second,” says Onesmus Odhiambo, director of wind farms Ngong I. Behind him shoot the wings of six wind turbines from Vestas V-52 with a capacity of 850 kilowatts. Three and a half years ago, the State Kenya Electricity Generating Company Ltd.. (KenGen) the wind farm into operation. “Our plan was to produce 15 gigawatt hours per year, with 19, we are way over.”

The potential for wind power is huge in Kenya. Throughout the country the wind with an average of about six meters per second blowing. Also agree that economic conditions: The current prices are to cover costs for producers, not least because consumers have to pay an automatic adjustment to the development of fuel prices, inflation and exchange rates. Nevertheless, there is slack in the Kenyan wind sector.

Ngong I is currently the only wind farm in the country. While Kenya’s government wants to generate about 15 percent of the electricity needs with wind power by 2030. Two years ago they had approved twenty project applications. But most investors are still waiting for an acceptance agreement with the power company, because of the expansion of the electricity network is the bottleneck of the Kenyan energy revolution.

There are too few power lines. And just over one-fifth of the Kenyan population is at all connected to the power grid, corresponding to the low consumption in the country. Kenya is also a power island. The remedy, however, the planned Eastern African Power Pool, which will connect the networks including Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya. For a route between Ethiopia and Kenya, the World Bank has approved last year a loan of 560 million euros

The interest of planners and investors is certainly unbroken: 2012. They submitted applications for wind turbines with a total of 650 megawatts. The most prominent project in planning is the on Lake Turkana in the north where the wind with a speed of twelve meters per second blowing – and almost around the clock throughout the year. With 300 megawatts is here the largest wind farm in Africa arise.

However

strife caused the World Bank. She got out because they disapproved of the entry contract, the Kenya Power also committed to a decrease when the current is not consumed. This precludes the aim to reduce the cost of electricity production. Moreover, the World Bank questioned the timely construction of the necessary transmission lines. After the withdrawal of the World Bank, the African Development Bank has taken the lead procuring the $ 600 million financing. As donors are among others the Kenyan government and the Spanish called.

On the Ngong Hills is in any case already built strong. Workers increase the substation. “Later this year we will start with the expansion to 20 megawatts of new facilities,” says head wind farm Onesmus Odhiambo. <- AUTHOR MARKER DATA BEGIN -> ( Klaus win ) / <- RSPEAK_STOP -> (bsc)
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