Comments on: Kenyan Wind Farm, Africa’s Largest, to Produce Lowest Cost Electricity

By: Bruce Njagi

Bruce Njagi — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:51:00 +0000

Your last sentence got it! Most of the other capital expense goes into maneuvering the terrain.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Also, in India you have a more mature wind industry. You’ve got skilled people and supply chains established.

Moving into a new area is almost certainly going to experience growing pains which can be costly.

By: Debasish

Debasish — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:07:00 +0000

300 MW rated capacity at a capital cost of $756 million – isn’t that very high. Here in India we have capital costs as low as a $1million/MW. May be the terrain is very difficult in Lake Tukana.

By: Jmwiti

Jmwiti — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:08:00 +0000

I am working in g.d.c in kenya and have been intereted in inspering local inovative upcoming engineers to start and develop low power generation
in their local area.Adivies me on the best way to go about it.

By: Akbweb2

Akbweb2 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:16:00 +0000

You may well be right…Came across a snippet this morning that said Kenya has the highest solar PV use per capita than any country in the world…

though I think there’s plenty of room, and attractive renewable resources, for others…Winds around Lake Turkana average around 11 m/s…plus the country’s uniquely located atop a good part of the East Africa Rift Zone, which makes geothermal a great option, something the country’s pursuing aggressively now…

By: Akbweb2

Akbweb2 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:06:00 +0000

Typo. Thx.

By: lukealization

lukealization — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 07:45:00 +0000

Good article Andrew, but here: “The consortium has signed a $756 million contract with Denmark’s Vestas A/S to supply 365 Vestas V52 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 850 W”

Don’t you mean 850 kW?

Interesting development, although I think Africa’s big energy source in the future will be solar…