- Renewable energy company Lekela Power has announced that the 158.7MW Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) wind farm has started to export power to Senegal’s national electricity grid.
- The project is still under construction and is due to finish in 2020.
Just 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 energised.
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. The project forms part of Plan Senegal Emergent, the government’s economic development accelerator programme.
The project is Senegal’s first utility-scale wind energy project and aligns with the Government of Senegal’s strategy of increasing clean electricity production and diversifying Senegal’s energy mix. The project is also expected to help reduce the cost of electricity generation in Senegal, which has one of the highest generation costs in Sub-Saharan Africa. PETN will be one of the lowest cost producers of electricity in Senegal.
Massaer Cisse, General Manager for Senegal at Lekela said, “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.
“Providing power is just the start. With every project we build, we go beyond energy, investing in our local communities to build a lasting, positive impact. We’re here for 20 years and we want to help the Taiba community grow. We’ve already constructed two new marketplaces and recently we ran a four-month electrical training course for twelve young adults in the community.”
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Source: Lekela Power
