Touring the Kipeto Wind Power Plant

Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Energy Mr. Alex Wachira gave a guided tour of the Kipeto Wind Power Plant to the Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. PS Wachira together with Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Defence Aden Duale accompanied President Afwerki, who was in the country for a two-day official visit, visited the Kipeto Wind Power Plant in February 2023.

Kipeto Power Plant is the second largest wind power station in the country. It produces 100 MW of clean, renewable electrical energy from the Lake Turkana wind power plant with a 300 MW instilled capacity. Wind energy is the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy technology which costs very little to maintain. To date, it has proven to be one of the cheapest resource of energy per unit of generated electricity.

Increased use of wind energy is envisioned will spur economic growth, create job opportunities, and enhance national security. Other benefits include protecting consumers from price spikes or supply shortages associated with global fuel markets and dramatically reduce pollutants warming the planet. Kenya is one of the most successful African countries attracting plenty of renewable energy investments. Around the world, growth of wind energy in terms of installed capacity is not evenly distributed.

President Afwerki was in the country to discuss areas of collaboration of which the energy sector was singled out being one of them.  During the site visit, the President was taken through the process of how Kipeto came to be. The team was met by the Environment Social and Governance Manager Andrew Owuor who took the guests through the operations at the power plant and explained the impact of the project to the surrounding community.

The Kipeto Wind Power Plant was started in 2009 when more than 60 plots were leased and secured within the Kipeto area after entering into a 20 year purchase agreement with Kenya Power and lighting Company (KPLC). The expansive land was used for installation of the wind turbine footprint and the Transmission Line through the voluntary participation of landowners. The Kipeto Energy PLC (KEP) has built 83 houses for landowners within the turbine area footprint and trained 200 locals to artisan level certification some of whom are employed to work on the site during construction. Mr. Owuor explained that leasing of the land was preferred to purchase to enable the surrounding community continuously benefit.

Since its inception, ’the project has over time greatly benefited the community.  We have trained personnel from the area, created job opportunities during the construction and post-construction period.’’ Mr. Owuor added.

At Kipeto, Kenya exemplifies the move to renewable power while protecting the fauna for which the region is well known for. The State Department for Energy seeks to advance the offsetting of potential impacts on birds through onsite mitigation measures, including the observer-led shut-down-demand (SDOD) of turbines. The turbines automatically shut down whenever birds fly near as explained by Mr. Owuor on the need to protect birds within their biodiversity. This is an action plan that meet international standards.