Africa Getting its First Giant Wind Farm – EcoLocalizer

Africa Getting its First Giant Wind Farm – EcoLocalizer

Four Cape Verde islands have just been granted funding to build Africa’s first giant wind farm. The project is being considered a model for other African countries.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and African Development Bank (AfDB) agreed last week to give 45 million euros ($62.84 million) “to design, build, and operate” this onshore wind energy project. The EIB will provide two-thirds of that and the ADB the other one third. The total project cost is 65 million euros, so the Cape Verdean government, Electra and InfraCo/Cabeolica will provide the remaining 20 million euros.

EIB stated: “this will be the first large scale wind project in Africa and first renewable energy public private partnership in sub-Saharan Africa.”

“The project propels Cape Verde into a position of leadership in renewable power generation in Africa, where the country’s Public Private Partnership structure will be extensively studied and replicated throughout the region,” said Fabio Borba, President of Cabeolica.

Cape Verde has some ambitions renewable energy targets — 25% renewable energy by 2012 and 50% renewable energy by 2020. This project will help the country get there by providing it with 28 MW of electricity.