Investors are turning to more renewable energy sources such as wind
Civicon Limited has signed a Sh3.2 billion deal with Lake Turkana Wind Power consortium to rehabilitate 204 kilometers of access roads for the wind farm and construction of a 109 km on-site road network.
Civicon, a leading East African civil and engineering company, will upgrade the road network to gravel standard so as to open up the area for the delivery of the wind turbines and transformers when construction of the Sh65 billion wind power project begins.
Relevant authorities including the Kenya National Highway Authority, Kenya Rural Roads Authority, NEMA and the County Council of Marsabit have approved the 15 months contract.
“The upgraded road will open up trade from Northern Kenya, make Marsabit County accessible and allow for other investors to set up new businesses in the area,” Project Manager John Latham said.
The Lake Turkana wind project involves the construction of a 40,000-acre wind farm in Loiyangalani, a remote village in the northwest near the Lake Turkana basin. The farm will comprise 365 turbines each capable of generating 850 kilowatts of energy.
The project, which is co-financed by the Spanish government, several international lenders and Kenya, is expected to provide 300 Megawatts of reliable, low-cost electricity to the national grid – equivalent to a fifth of the current installed electricity generating capacity.
The electricity produced will be sold to the Kenya Power company at a fixed price of US$10c/kWh (the lowest in the country) over a 20-year period in accordance with the signed Power Purchase Agreement.
