Kenya launched Africa's largest wind power farm in the remote Lake Turkana region. The windmills have a 52-meter blade span and will make the best use of the high-velocity winds in the area. It will boost the electricity generating capacity of Kenya and will play an important role in meeting the goal of cent percent green energy by 2020.

President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurated the project and said - "Today, we again raised the bar for the continent as we unveil Africa's single largest wind farm. Kenya is without doubt on course to be a global leader in Renewable Energy."

CNN reports the project relies on the Turkana corridor wind.

It exploits the potentials of a low-level jet stream with its origin in the Indian Ocean that blows all the year-round. There are 365 wind turbines and the total cost is around $700 million. An international consortium including the African Development Bank has financed the project. Incidentally, Kenya has won recognition for investing in clean sources of energy. More than 50 percent of the country’s electricity needs are met by renewable sources like hydropower and geothermal.

Africa pursues clean energy with vigor

CNN goes on to say Kenya’s state-owned power company is responsible to produce most of its needs and the majority of it comes from hydropower sources.

The Lake Turkana wind power project is not the only existing wind power project in Africa.

The continent has several such installations in Morocco, Ethiopia, and South Africa. While Ethiopia has two, South Africa has five. Obviously, the continent assigns priority to promote renewable energy. It has realized that alternates to conventional fuels are the answer to tackle global warming.

Kenya shows the way

According to Africa News, Kenya has officially launched Africa’s largest wind power plant.

The Lake Turkana Wind Power project is located in the north of Kenya and the setup has its wind turbines spread across sprawling empty spaces on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana. It provides more than 300 megawatts of renewable energy and is the largest private investment in the country’s history.

Kenya wants to produce its full quota of energy from renewable sources by 2020 and this wind power project is a step in that direction. It is a major investment and received a $200 million loan from the European Union apart from funding from other sources. However, it has come in for opposition from environmental activists. They have accused the government of betrayal with a coal-fired power plant project.

The authorities must convince them about the need to say goodbye to conventional fossil fuels because they harm the environment. There is an urgent need to replace them with other mechanisms for a healthier tomorrow.
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