This archive report was first published on 13 July 2021.
Published on July 13, 2021, the 100 MW Kipeto Wind Farm Project in Kajiado has finally reached completion.
The project, a partnership between Pan-African developer BTE Renewables and Kenyan Craftskills, has seen all 60 wind turbines successfully feeding power to the national grid.
Located in Kajiado, the Kipeto Wind Farm is Kenya's second-largest wind power project, with a power purchase agreement in place for 20 years with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).
The wind farm is part of a broader initiative by former US President Barack Obama to add 30,000 MW of clean energy to Sub-Saharan Africa.
Construction of the wind farm took two years and reached a financial close in December 2018, with Actis-backed BioTherm Energy owning 88% equity and Craftskills owning 12%, backed by a loan from the US-based Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
China Machinery Engineering Corporation was awarded the contract to design, procure, and construct the wind farm at a cost of US$212 million in 2016.
General Electric supplied the 60 turbines to the wind farm, which can supply clean and sustainable energy to 250,000 homes.
According to Dr Kenneth Namunje, Chairman and Director of Kipeto Energy Plc and Craftskills, the wind farm project took 12 years to complete.
