By Reporter
The Bahari Wind Power Company project is set to use the Lamu Port to bring in 22 wind turbines which will produce 90 megawatt (MW) on a 3,206-acre land in Mpketoni’s Baharini Village.
The company director Susan Nandwa expressed optimism over Kenya Ports Authority bringing in three new state of the art cranes that will aid in building port use services at the Lamu Port.
“The three new STS cranes will reduce the logistical expense that the Bahari Wind Power Company had projected in importing 22 new turbines,”she stated.
Speaking to the media she said that Bahari Wind Power Company, already has a signed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Kenya Power.
“We are however calling on the national government to waive the moratarium put on all Independent Power Producers to allow for such projects to go on,” she said adding that it will aid in creating jobs both directly and indirectly.
The Wind Power Project is expected to create atleast 1,000 jobs directly, with the project coordinator expressing confidence that with adequate support the project will be a boon for the region.
The project, whose construction is still awaiting the national government to lift an energy supply moratorium on IPPs, is owned by Kenwind Holding Limited.
She further urged parliament to lift the moratium it placed on energy generation and supply by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to operate in the country.
It is expected that the Bahari Wind Power Project will have the largest turbines in the region and is set to be the third biggest wind farm in Kenya after 310MW Lake Turkana wind and 100MW Kipeto.
The 90MW wind farm will cost U$180 million (Sh18 billion) and will have 22 turbines, which will culminate in each turbine generating 4MW.
She noted that the national government has already set up a good road infrastructure from the port to the Mpeketoni area where the project will be set up, however noting that atleast 10 kilometres of a new road network will be needed from Mpeketoni town to where the Wind farm site will be set up.
“Of note is the government’s commitment in boosting investor confidence, with the county government supporting Thika Textile Mills in setting up of a Kshs 100 million cotton ginnery in Sinambio area this year and a cashew nut processing plant in Hindi town,” Nandwa said.
She further noted that investor confidence has further been boosted by the strides the government was making in ensuring that Lamu is a safe place for socioeconomic development.
“The national government has committed a lot of resources both in terms of personnel and commitment in ensuring Lamu is a safe place for investors to come and invest in,” she added.
The Bahari Wind Power Company official also revealed that the Rapid Action Plan process that was aimed at coming up with a formula for resettling affected farmers was also complete with plans underway to ensure that the county and national government aid in facilitating completion of the compensation process.
On his part Lamu Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ikhwan Omar lauded the milestones being made by KPA and the national government in ensuring the Lamu Port becomes a viable logistics hub and employer in the county.
He further reiterated that Lamu business community’s commitment in ensuring that the Lamu Port is put to good use with several businesses expected to come up with the Lamu Port continuing to modernize.
He further noted that the Lamu Port will further enable the setting up of Special Economic Zones around the Lamu Port area with more investors being wooed into making use of the Lamu Port.
Al Bashayer Meat Company, an Omani-based firm, has also been intermittently scheduling the export of livestock through the Lamu Port since 2022.
The meat processing company has also acquired 100 acres of land adjacent to the Lamu port, where it has established a holding ground for the animals for export.
