Vestas to Supply 365 Turbines to Kenya's Lake Turkana Windfarm

---

Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Vestas (OTC:VWYSF) (Aarhus, Denmark) will supply 365 turbines to the 310-megawatt (MW) Lake Turkana wind power project in Kenya, marking the company's largest order ever for a single windfarm.

The order for the 850-kilowatt V52 turbines was placed by Lake Turkana Wind Power Limited. When completed in 2017, it is expected to be Africa's largest wind power facility, and will save the country about $186 million in annual fuel import costs.

The scope of the order covers supply, installation and commissioning of the turbines, and includes a 15-year active output management (AOM 4000) service agreement.

With average on-site wind speeds in excess of 11 meters per second, the project will generate 1,400 gigawatt hours (GWh) of power annually, equivalent to about 15% of the country's current electricity consumption.

Located 1,200 kilometers (km) from the Kenyan Indian Ocean port of Mombasa, the project requires the construction of more than 420 km of transmission lines to reach the national grid.

The project site is at an elevation of 450 meters near the Lake Turkana shore. The area around the site has a unique geographical phenomenon with strong, predictable wind streams between the desert hinterland and Lake Turkana. The project site was selected for its world-class wind resources and sparse population.

"Eastern and Southern Africa are key markets for Vestas and the Lake Turkana project will establish Kenya among the continent's wind energy leaders," said Christoph Vogel, president of Vestas Central Europe.

For related information, see October 23, 2014, article - GE to Install 63 Turbines for New Kenyan Wind Project, and March 26, 2014, article - Kenya's $870 Million Lake Turkana Wind Project Fully Financed.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.