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Wind Power News: Africa
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Activists and reserves fume over proposed wind farm near Makhanda
A windpower facility set to be built near Makhanda in the Eastern Cape has raised the ire of game reserves and a civil society group, who are concerned about the impact that the huge turbines would have on biodiversity and character of the region. Half of the operational public procurement wind projects in South Africa are located in the Eastern Cape. The renewable energy generation capacity has been welcomed, but complaints about the impact of the turbines on wildlife and . . . Complete story »
Cape Vultures are on ‘collision course’ with wind farms
On 23 November last year, one of VulPro’s rehabilitated Cape vultures was struck by a wind farm turbine in the Eastern Cape. It was the first time a tracked vulture had been hit. “This particular bird was being monitored with a tracking device and we noted his movements had stopped and then landed up in urban Cape Town,” explained Kerri Wolter, the founder of VulPro, a non-profit conservation organisation dedicated to the preservation of vultures. “Zooming into the map, one . . . Complete story »
Transition to “clean energy” is hurting Indigenous communities
When Francisco Calí Tzay, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, spoke at the 22nd United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, or UNPFII, last week, he listed clean energy projects as some of the most concerning threats to their rights. “I constantly receive information that Indigenous Peoples fear a new wave of green investments without recognition of their land tenure, management, and knowledge,” said Calí Tzay. His statements – and those made by other delegates – at . . . Complete story »
South African wind turbine projects worry private wildlife reserves
Already beset by poacher attacks, private reserves in the Eastern Cape Province are now facing another problem: The rise of wind farm projects covering some 100 square kilometers and their potentially damaging impact on ecotourism. One morning in March, Chris Hutton received the call he had been dreading. His men reported a breach in the reserve’s fence. Poachers, to be sure. 45 minutes later, the team discovered three rhinos collapsed on the ground, a mother and her two calves. Dead. . . . Complete story »
Gone with the wind: Lesotho’s $15-billion energy pipedream
A $15-billion wind farm project that would have given Lesotho bragging rights to Africa’s largest renewable energy project, slashed electricity prices and created thousands of jobs has vanished from the country’s planned projects, leaving behind unanswered questions and politicians who don’t remember the details. The project was designed to increase the local energy production from 73MW to 6 073MW, and would have meant the southern African country could stop importing expensive electricity from South Africa and Mozambique. All traces of the . . . Complete story »
Wind farm row on as firm seeks more time over titles
The controversy surrounding the multibillion-shilling Lake Turkana Wind Power continues after the consortium returned to court seeking more time to regularise acquisition of 110,000 acres more to complete the project. The company has erected 365 turbines for driving electric generators on 40,000 acres but cordoned off 150,000 acres, thereby denying residents of Laisamis access to grazing land and open space to perform communal circumcision rites. The pastoralist community from Loiyangalani and Marsabit South in Laisamis lodged the suit in October . . . Complete story »
Collision hotspots for migrating birds revealed in new study
New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) highlights the areas in Europe and North Africa where the construction of wind turbines or power lines is likely to increase the risk of death for migrating birds. The study used GPS location data from 65 bird tracking studies to understand where they fly more frequently at danger height—defined as 10-60 meters above ground for power lines and 15-135 meters for wind turbines. This allowed the team to identify the . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines ‘taking deadly toll on migrating birds’: Map highlights ‘collision hotspots’
They may be considered an eco-friendly way to generate energy, but wind turbines pose a major threat to migrating birds, which are at high risk of colliding with the giant blades while in flight. Now a new study has identified the collision ‘hotspots’ where migrating birds such as owls, swans and eagles are most at risk of being killed by turbines or power lines. The researchers have produced a map, revealing that birds are more likely to get too close . . . Complete story »
MPs probe Sh784m overpayment to Lake Turkana Wind Power
Parliament has opened investigations into the overpayment of Sh784 million to Lake Turkana Wind Power for the project in Marsabit County. The payments for the multi-billion-shillings project were made in four tranches from June to September, last year, but the firm’s directors yesterday told MPs they have waited for one year for bank account details to deposit the refund to the Kenya government. However, the MPs suspect collusion with Energy ministry and Kenya Power officials who could be pocketing interest . . . Complete story »
Tillatelse for 365 vindturbiner kjent ugyldig
[Kenyan court rules that a giant Danish wind farm in the area of indigenous peoples is illegal.] Kenyansk domstol slår fast at en gigantisk dansk vindpark i urfolks område er ulovlig. – Jeg syns det er veldig gledelig å høre at et slikt vindkraftanlegg og industriprosjekt er kjent ugyldig. Det er bra at domstolen påpeker at urfolkene i Kenya ikke har fått uttale seg i denne prosessen. Det sier sametingsråd Maja Kristine Jåma (NSR) til NRK. 28-åringen har gjennom hele . . . Complete story »
