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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.
Tough lesson from wind farm land case
Last week, the High Court in Meru nullified the title deed for the land on which the Lake Turkana Wind Power project sits after establishing that due process was not followed in setting apart the 150,000 acres of community land. The company acquired a 33-year lease for the 150,000 acres to develop a 300MW wind power farm near Loyangalani. The project is on a footprint of 87.5 acres which comprises among others, 365 wind power turbines and a power station . . . Complete story »
Turkana wind project title deeds nullified in land row
The High Court in Meru has nullified title deeds for the land on which the Sh70 billion Lake Turkana Wind Power project sits, saying it was acquired irregularly. Judges Peter Muchoki Njoroge, Yuvinalis Angima and Grace Kemei said the Constitution was not followed when 150,000 acres of community land was allocated to Lake Turkana Wind Power Ltd. But the judges declined to cancel the title deeds, giving the Marsabit County government, the Attorney-General, the Chief Land Registrar and the National . . . Complete story »
Despite warnings, bankrupt firm was handed transmission line deal
The World Bank was the first major player in the deal to raise an alarm on the multibillion-shilling contract. But the Energy ministry officials remained adamant – the contract had to go on at all costs, despite the red flags. Minutes of the Kenya Power board dated May 2013 and a Cabinet memorandum on the project reveal that the World Bank, which was to provide a guarantee, or what is known as a Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG), was forced to . . . Complete story »
The Loiyangalani wind project that became a living nightmare
It started like all the good plans do: a dream. The plan? To transform Kenya’s energy economy, make its power generation environmentally sustainable and position Kenya as a continental leader in wind energy. Sounds cool, right? Wrong. The whole enterprise, from conception to execution, was crafted from the start to rob taxpayers of billions of shillings through phony contracts with the country’s power distributor. This is the short but sad story of the Lake Turkana Wind Power project, Kenya’s biggest . . . Complete story »
What would wind farm mean for Addo Elephant National Park?
A wind farm project on the edge of the Addo Elephant National Park could cripple the park’s aerial anti-poacher spotter regime and undercut eco-tourism as an economic powerhouse in the Eastern Cape. This is according to scientists and conservationists after the Bayview Wind Farm proposal was approved by the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment. But concerned parties are appealing against the decision, warning that the low-frequency drone from the wind farm could cause stress in the park’s flagship . . . Complete story »
‘Droning noise from E Cape wind farms – bad news for Addo elephants’
“It’s certain that the noise from the turbines will be heard by the elephants of Addo,” says acoustic engineer Terry McKenzie-Hoy. Visitors to the Eastern Cape will notice wind farms sprouting up all over, particularly around Qheberha (Port Elizabeth). These wind farm turbines emit low-frequency noise, inaudible to humans, but potentially damaging for the elephants of the Addo Elephant Park. Pippa Hudson interviewed acoustic engineer Terry McKenzie-Hoy about his study into the impact of wind turbine noise on elephants and . . . Complete story »
Environment department says no to controversial Watson family wind farm
A proposed wind farm planned by the family of the late Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson in an ecologically sensitive wilderness area in the Eastern Cape has been shot down by the department of environment, forestry and fisheries because it poses a “high risk” to threatened birds of prey. The 187MW wind farm was proposed to be located in the Groot Winterhoekberg, which forms part of an expansion strategy for national protected areas, between portions of the Groendal nature reserve . . . Complete story »
Feathers fly over proposed wind farm’s impacts on great white pelicans
BirdLife South Africa has urged the developer of a proposed wind energy facility on the West Coast to consider alternative locations to prevent vulnerable great white pelicans from colliding with its wind turbines. In February 2012, Moyeng Energy received environmental authorisation for its proposed 35-turbine Rheboksfontein facility, which is to be built 3km west of Darling and about 15km east of Dassen Island, the only breeding site for the heavy, slope-soaring birds in the region. The company has now proposed . . . Complete story »
How the chase for cheaper power from Lake Turkana project turned elusive
In 2011 when whispers of a wind power project in Kenya began to get louder, the country was struggling with its generation mix. Reliance on expensive thermal energy was over 40 percent, geothermal was not as significant and hydro was too weather-reliant to guarantee steady supply. Five days before Christmas of 2014, a financial closure was reached and Kenya was on the path to hosting Africa’s largest wind power facility. The Sh70 billion project would not only inject clean power . . . Complete story »
Creecy upholds appeal against giant West Coast wind farm
Environment minister Barbara Creecy has upheld one out of 16 appeals against the construction of the Boulders wind farm on the West Coast. Aurora Wind Power lodged the appeal citing the wake effect the new farm located upwind of it would create on its West Coast One farm. An impact assessment must now be conducted of the Boulders’ wake effect on the smaller West Coast One farm. It is back to the drawing board for a giant new wind farm . . . Complete story »
