The Ministry of Energy is locked in a battle with an energy firm over a proposed 300-megawatt wind plant set for construction in Marsabit County.
This is after the ministry changed the status of Gitson Energy’s plant to ‘under contention’ despite having given the firm a go-ahead for feasibility studies and construction.
Correspondence seen by the Business Daily shows that through W. Thuku & Associates Advocates, Gitson Energy wrote to the ministry seeking an explanation on the change of status for the project that was first approved in 2010.
“Kindly elucidate on the change of the approval status to “under contention” with respect to Gitson Energy Bubisa Wind Project, given that there are three letters from your office confirming the approval of the project,” said the law firm in a letter to the ministry, dated April 4, 2024.
Feasibility study
However, Energy PS Alex Wachira, contradicted his predecessors over approval of the project, saying that the company did not conduct a feasibility study, which is needed for the final nod.
“To be given permission to go ahead with the feasibility study does not equate to outright approval of the power project...All this was not done by Gitson and the matter was referred to an arbitrator,” said Mr Wachira.
Gitson Energy —owned by Kenyans in the diaspora— is one of the independent power producers seeking to tap the vast wind potential in Marsabit County, with its proposed project set to be the second-biggest in Kenya.
The Lake Turkana Wind Farm, located in Loiyangalani, is the biggest in Kenya and Africa with a capacity of 310 megawatts.
The government first gave Gitson Energy the go-ahead for the project in February 2010 and reaffirmed the approval in 2017.
“We note that vide our letter of reference dated February 16, 2010, you had been granted approval for development of the wind project and you had been expected to finalise your feasibility study within the next eight months,” the ministry had said in one of the letters dated, October 9, 2017.
The clash comes months after Gitson Energy won a court case that compelled the Ministry of Energy to provide details on all power projects approved for construction in Marsabit County.
The ministry then provided a list of five firms, including Gitson Energy. However, the status of Gitson’s plant had been changed to ‘under contention’ from ‘approved’.
The correspondence shows that the government first gave Gitson the green light to proceed with the plant in Bubisa, Marsabit County, in February 2010.
In September 2010, the ministry gave Gitson an extension of one year to complete the feasibility study and complete the plant by the end of 2013.
The wind is currently the third-biggest source of electricity in the national power grid, accounting for 15.1 percent, or 1,271.42 GWh, in the eight months to February, behind hydro at 24.5 percent (2,062.01 GWh) and geothermal at 47.1 percent, or 3,954.82 GWh.
