Kenya’s Largest Single Private Investment Endorsed by Kenya Vision 2030

Mugo Kibati, Director General of Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat (right) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Carlo Van Wageningen, Chairman, Lake Turkana Wind Power (left), endorsing the largest single private investment in Kenya’s history, amounting to Ksh 75 billion (€582 million).

Kenya’s Largest Single Private Investment Endorsed by Kenya Vision 2030

Kenya Vision 2030 Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Lake Turkana Wind Power
16 October 2012 Nairobi, Kenya…

The Vision 2030 Delivery Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP), endorsing the largest single private investment in Kenya’s history, amounting to Ksh 75 billion (€582 million).
The project will provide 300MW of reliable, low cost wind power to the Kenya national grid, equivalent to approximately 20% of the current installed electricity generating capacity. The wind farm site, covering 40,000 acres (162km2), is located in Loyangalani District, Marsabit West County, in north-eastern Kenya, approximately 50km north of South Horr Township.
“The wind energy resource at Lake Turkana is exceptional,” said Carlo Van Wageningen, Chairman, LTWP. “The average wind speed is approximately 11meters / second and wind blows consistently from the South East. Given this exceptional wind resource at the project site the project will be a reliable and cost effective source of energy for the entire country.”
“In addition to providing reliable low cost power the project will bring numerous macroeconomic, community and social benefits for the region,” added Van Wageningen. “During the 32 month construction period, up to approximately 2 500 jobs will be created followed by over 200 full time jobs throughout the period of operations, mainly targeting local Kenyan’s. We will be implementing a comprehensive training and international skills transfer program for which it will not only build capacity for individuals to but intellectual benfit for Kenya as a whole.”
The Government of Kenya’s Least Cost Development Power Plan shows that LTWP wind power will be one of the least cost power generation options available in the country along with geothermal power and at even less cost than the feed in tariff for other wind projects set at US$12 cents/kWh.  The project will replace the need for Kenya to spend approximately Ksh 15.6 billion (€120 million) per year on importing fuel.
“This project reduces the need to depend on unreliable hydro and on expensive, unpredictably priced fossil fuel based power generation and insulates Kenya’s power tariff by providing a low and consistent power price,” said Mugo Kibati, Director General of Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat. “Kenya stands to save Euro 120 Million of fuel imports as a result of shifting its electricity generation mix to include the power to be produced by LTWP.”
The Project will comprise 365 wind turbines (each with a capacity of 850 kW), the associated overhead electric grid collection system and a high voltage substation. The Project also includes upgrading of the existing road from Laisamis to the wind farm site, a distance of approximately 204km, as well as an access road network in and around the site for construction, operations and maintenance. The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (Ketraco), with concessional funding from the Spanish Government, is constructing a double circuit 400kv, 428km transmission line to deliver the LTWP electricity along with power from other future plants to the national grid.
"Kenya is set to further develop as the hub of trade and logistics in the Sub-Saharan Africa in line with the Vision 2030 outcomes for Kenya. The inclusion of a wind farm in Kenya increases the industrialization efforts for Kenya, which are necessary to helping Kenya realize a middle-income status by 2030 by ensuring that there is access to reliable and cost-effective electricity. In addition, the project will bring numerous social and economic benefits to Kenya, which we as the Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat are totally committed to implementing," added Kibati.
Ends –
For further press information please contact:
Mary E. O’Reilly Veronicah Muchiri
The Energy Source Communications Manager
Phone # + 254 733 751 799 Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat
Email : media@ltwp.co.ke Tel.+254 (0) 722 320 333
Email : vmuchiri@vision2030.go.ke

Notes To Editors:
Lake Turkana Wind Power
The Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP) aims to provide 300MW of reliable, low cost wind power to the Kenya national grid, equivalent to approximately 20% of the current installed electricity generating capacity. The Project is of significant strategic benefit to Kenya, and at Ksh75 billion (€582 million) will be the largest single private investment in Kenya’s history. The wind farm site, covering 40,000 acres (162km2), is located in Loyangalani District, Marsabit West County, in north-eastern Kenya, approximately 50km north of South Horr Township.
Kenya Vision 2030
The Kenya Vision 2030 is the national long-term development blue-print that aims to transform Kenya into a newly industrialising, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030 in a clean and secure environment.
The Vision comprises of three key pillars: Economic; Social; and Political. The Economic Pillar aims to achieve an average economic growth rate of 10 per cent per annum and sustaining the same until 2030. The Social Pillar seeks to engender just, cohesive and equitable social development in a clean and secure environment, while the Political Pillar aims to realise an issue-based, people-centred, result-oriented and accountable democratic system.
The three pillars are anchored on the foundations of macroeconomic stability; infrastructural development; Science, Technology and Innovation (STI); Land Reforms; Human Resources Development; Security and Public Sector Reforms.