Bubisa Wind Power Station

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Bubisa Wind Power Station
Bubisa Wind Power Station
LocationBubisa, Marsabit County, Kenya
Coordinates 02°42′49″N38°04′59″E / 2.71361°N 38.08306°E / 2.71361; 38.08306 Coordinates: 02°42′49″N38°04′59″E / 2.71361°N 38.08306°E / 2.71361; 38.08306
StatusProposed
Commission date 2026 Expected
Owner(s)Gitson Energy
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 300MW
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The Bubisa Wind Power Station is a planned 300 megawatts wind power energy project, in Kenya. The power station is owned and under development by Gitson Energy, an independent power producer (IPP), owned by Kenyans in the diaspora. The project received initial regulatory approval in 2010. However, land acquisition delays, followed by backtracking by the Kenyan government, forced the owner/investor to go to court for redress. In the fourth quarter of calendar year 2021, the Kenya High Court, sitting in the city of Mombasa, restored the rights of the owner/investor to proceed with development of the power station. [1] [2]

Contents

Location

The wind farm would be located near the settlement of Bubisa, in Marsabit County, in Kenya's arid northwest. Bubisa is located approximately 47 kilometres (29 mi) northeast of the town of Marsabit, where the county headquarters are located. [3] Bubisa is located approximately 198 kilometres (123 mi), southwest of Moyale, Kenya, at the international border with Ethiopia. [4] Bubisa is approximately 576 kilometres (358 mi) north of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. [5]

Overview

The planned generation capacity of this wind farm is 300 megawatts. Delays in the land acquisition process and then withdrawal of licensing, after it was granted, delayed commencement of construction since 2010. [6]

A court ruling in November 2021, directed regulatory agencies within the Government of Kenya, to issue unencumbered licenses to Gitson Energy, the owner/developer of this wind farm. [7]

Back in 2010, the plan was to build a new 200 kilometres (124 mi) high voltage power line from Bubisa to join the Loiyangalani–Suswa High Voltage Power Line and evacuate the energy generated at this power station. The power would be sold to Kenya Power and Lighting. [6] [7]

Funding

Initially, the World Bank had agreed to provide funding for this renewable energy project. In 2012, the World Bank pulled out of this deal. [8]

Gitson Energy has been promised funding from various sources, including (a) the Export–Import Bank of the United States (b) the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which today is the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. [2]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Patrick Mulyungi (1 December 2021). "Plans for Construction of 300 MW Wind Farm in Bubisa, Kenya, Revived". Construction Review Online. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 Jean Marie Takouleu (24 November 2021). "Kenya: Gitson Energy wins case for its 300 MW wind project in Bubisa". Arik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Google (11 March 2022). "Road Distance Between Marsabit, Kenya And Bubisa, Kenya With Map" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Google (11 March 2022). "Road Distance Between Moyale, Kenya And Bubisa, Kenya With Map" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. ↑ Google (11 March 2022). "Road Distance Between Nairobi, Kenya And Bubisa, Kenya" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. 1 2 Business Daily Arica (3 June 2010). "US investors to fund Marsabit wind power project". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. 1 2 Kamau Macharia (22 November 2021). "Court hands a lifeline to second 300MW Marsabit wind project". The Standard (Kenya) . Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  8. ↑ CCE Online News (25 November 2021). "Firm gets nod for Bubisa wind power project in Northern Kenya". CCEOnlinenews.com. Nairobi Kenya. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
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