While other renewable energy projects were presented, wind energy seemed to be the main point of interest among speakers and attendees at the Africa/MidEast Renewable Energy Summit held in Cairo from October 12-13. With wind energy manufacturing companies like Vestas, Sewedy Wind Energy Group (SWEG), and Vergnet giving presentations, wind projects were bound to spark some curiosity – that and the conference taking place in Egypt which has a large wind energy industry.
In July France’s Vergnet announced its part in the largest wind farm on the African continent. At that time Alternative Energy Africa reported that Kenya was set to install about 365 wind turbines in the Lake Turkana region creating the largest wind farm in Africa (Kenya to Build Africa’s Largest Wind Farm). However, this wasn’t the wind farm being discussed at the conference. Instead the largest wind farm discussion was aimed at the recent (October 9) signing of a €220-million deal between Ethiopia and Vergnet to produce a 120-MW wind farm.
Kenya’s Turkana wind farm, expected to be completed by 2012, was said to have been canceled, yet reports are unconfirmed at this time. What is true is that the wind farm in Ethiopia is set to be complete in about two and a half years – which would put it running alongside Kenya’s project if it is still on schedule.
Having the largest wind farm is great whether it belongs to Kenya or Ethiopia – but making sure the maintenance is continuous and the power generation reaches the masses is the main goal; being able to tout “ours is bigger” is short-lived. Besides, if it isn’t maintained and operable, then it doesn’t matter the size of your wind farm.