Tanzania’s first ever wind farm has finally been completed after two years of construction. The Mwenga project, a first-of-its-kind in Tanzania, has reached completion as installation and testing works were finalised in May.
The 2.4MW project – funded by a US$1.2m loan from Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) – will be channeled to an existing power grid which is already operated by a 4MW hydropower plant, run by Rift Valley Corporation – a renewable energy developer.
The Mwenga wind farm, located in southern Tanzania’s Iringa region, consists of three 800 kw wind turbines which will generate the power.
Once operational, the wind farm is expected to connect 1,500 households over the next two years. The wind farm will also act as an alternative to the hydropower plant’s seasonal unreliability.
Dr Matthew Josephat Matimbwi, executive secretary at the Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (TAREA) says; the logic behind the wind farm is largely to compensate for the low levels of water registered during the dry season.
READ: Kenya’s Kipeto wind power project comes to completion
According to Camco’s managing editor Geoff Sinclair, the project provides a demonstration of wind’s potential in the country and is paving the way for further wind projects. He further stated that said that the wind farm will provide customers with a cheaper source of power.
Renewable energy investment firm Camco and REPP are major stakeholders in the project among others.
The wind farm is an innovative hybrid system – another first for Tanzania – with an existing hydro project that combines grid, corporate and local offtake. The completion of the wind farm will provide added stability to the existing infrastructure and enable constant provision of power to customers throughout the seasons.
The Mwenga wind farm is part of Tanzania’s Vision 2025 initiative, to speed up projects in the energy sector, improve electricity access, and generate 100MW of electricity from wind.
According to stakeholders, the positive impact the wind farm will have on local communities is the main reason behind their decision to invest in the project.
