Renewable power generation company Lekela, on Friday, connected the158.7MW project Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) wind farm to Senegal’s national electricity grid to provide power for the first time.
Ten months after the start of construction, almost all the turbines required for the project have been erected, with the final turbines set to be constructed by the end of 2019. The substation has also been finished and energized.
“The first megawatts of energy are today entering Senegal’s grid, giving the country its first taste of clean, renewable wind power. This is an exciting time and it brings us a step closer to our ultimate goal of providing power for millions of Senegalese,” says Massaer Cisse, General Manager for Senegal at Lekela.
Once complete in 2020, the wind farm will consist of 46 Vestas wind turbines that will produce 158.7MW, representing a 15% uplift to Senegal’s generation capacity.
While construction will take less than two years, the project will generate electricity for Senegal over a period of 20 years. Lekela has a long-term commitment to the Taiba N’Diaye community and has developed a plan of socio-economic investments for the local people, estimated to contribute up to $20 million over the lifetime of the wind farm.
The project forms part of Plan Senegal Emergent, the government’s economic development accelerator program.
Lekela also recently secured a financial close on its 250MW West Bakr Wind project in Egypt. Expected to be fully operational by 2021, West Bakr will produce over 1,000 GW/h per year of clean energy for the Egyptian grid. In total, Lekela now has over 1,000MW of wind power in operation or construction.