Work starts on Kinangop Wind Farm in Kenya

By Zak Mwangi

Aurecon has been appointed as owner’s engineer by the project company, Kinangop Wind Park Ltd (KWP), for the construction phase of the 60.8 megawatt wind farm in Kenya’s Kinangop region.  This project has African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) as the majority owner. The project has reached Financial Close and commissioning is expected to occur in mid-2015.

The wind farm will be built by Iberdrola Engineering, with General Electric to provide 38 1.6 megawatt wind turbines.

As owner’s engineer, Aurecon will work closely with the project partners to ensure that the wind farm is delivered on time, within budget and meets the expected level of reliability for long-term operation.

“Kinangop is significant as the first major IPP wind farm in Kenya,” said Aurecon Renewable Energy Service Leader Paul Nel.

According to GE, the wind farm will generate enough renewable electricity to power the equivalent of 150 000 homes in the country.

“Kenya is an exciting growth market for renewable energy with an attractive policy framework, which has enabled the progression of a number of wind and geothermal projects,” Nel said.

“This appointment builds on Aurecon’s strong presence in the South African renewables market and commitment to our key client AIIM who is a major stakeholder in the project.

“It also reflects our depth in East Africa as a leading engineering service provider,” Nel added.

The new wind farm in Kenya will add to Sub-Saharan Africa’s growing wind energy capacity, which is being driven by solid economic growth and an increasing population.