A wind farm of epic proportions is taking shape in Africa

Tony Karumba | AFP | Getty Images

This photo taken on October 29, 2010 shows a man running past wind turbines in the early morning mist in the Ngong hills, some 25 kms south-west of Nairobi.

The project’s location, between the slopes of Mount Kulal and the south eastern end of Lake Turkana, is of great importance when it comes to producing wind power. According to the project, the area’s “unique geographical conditions” result in daily temperature fluctuations which in turn produce strong and predictable wind streams.

“We get a constant wind that allows us to have a yield on our installed capacity, which is called load factor, of about 62 percent,” Van Wageningen explained.

The potential of wind power in terms of reducing carbon emissions is significant. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, in 2016 wind power helped the planet avoid more than 637 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

For Van Wageningen, the Lake Turkana scheme has helped to put Kenya on the renewable energy map from a wind perspective.

“There are many wind farms that are in preparation and in development right now, so I think Lake Turkana Wind Power has opened a new source of investment for Kenya – foreign investment as well as local investment – and it’s a great opportunity.”