Google Invests In Kenya's Lake Turkana Wind Farm Project

Google has announced that it will invest in Northern Kenya's Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, making it the company's second investment of its kind in Africa. The Internet giant previously invested in Africa's largest solar project; this latest project, a wind farm, will produce 310 megawatts of energy for powering homes in Kenya. The benefits from that are numerous, spanning beyond the environmentally-friendly aspects to include additional capacity, improved energy stability, and more.

By the end of this decade, Kenya plans to have increased its grid's capacity by 5GW. Doing so will help the nation in numerous ways, including supporting its growing economy and its goal for universal energy access. Lake Turkana is one of Kenya's projects for achieving these goals; the wind turbines installed will provide clean, reliable electricity for residents and businesses.

Says Google, the finished wind farm will produce an amount of energy equal to about 15% of the nation's current grid system. In order to support the project, a 266 mile transmission line is being built. The wind turbines are being supplied by Vestas, one of the project's investors. Google will buy out Vestas' 12.5% stake in the project after the wind farm is up and running.

Once it buys it out, Google will become the first private investor from the U.S. on the project. Says the company, it is optimistic about how wind and solar projects such as the ones it has invested in can help propel us toward a future where energy is clear and more sustainable.

SOURCE: Google