KenGen to receive funding from Belgium for Ngong Wind Power Project expansion

NAIROBI: Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) will receive financing from Belgium to expand the Ngong Wind Power Project.

Chief Executive Albert Mugo said yesterday the funding will enable the power producer to add five more turbines to the current 30 turbines and is expected to produce a total of 10MW.

"Because of the good result, we have a phase four that will generate 10MW of electricity," he said during the firm's annual shareholders' tour at Ngong.

This year, 300 shareholders visited the 26MW wind power plant in Ngong.

The company - 70 per cent government-owned - entered the first financing agreement of €12 million (Sh1.3 billion) with Belgium in 2008.

It later entered into a €20 million (Sh2.1 billion) financial agreement with Spain to finance phase two of the project.

Other ongoing KenGen projects are the Olkaria 5 project that will produce 140MW, Lake Turkana 310MW and the 80MW Meru project.

The Meru project, which is already in progress, has already received €120 million (Sh13 billion) funding, according to Mr Mugo.

The wind power expansion plans come amid reports that there could be an increase in electricity bills from early next year.

The increase will be as a result of the Government's refusal to foot the cost of the Lake Turkana Wind Power project.