Largest wind farm in Africa

Lake Turkana, sometimes called The Jade Sea

Kenya's president has just opened Africa's largest wind farm:

Kenya has launched Africa's largest wind power farm in a bid to boost electricity generating capacity and to meet the country's ambitious goal of 100% green energy by 2020.

The farm, known as the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) will generate around 310 megawatts of power to the national grid and will increase the country's electricity supply by 13%, President Uhuru Kenyatta said at the launch of the project on Friday.

"Today, we again raised the bar for the continent as we unveil Africa's single largest wind farm," Kenyatta said.

"Kenya is without doubt on course to be a global leader in renewable energy." 

The project is powered by the Turkana corridor wind, a low level jet stream originating from the Indian Ocean and blows all year round, according to a government statement.

An international consortium of lenders and producers, which includes the African Development Bank, came together to install the 365 wind turbines, which cost around $700m, the largest private investment in Kenya's history, President Kenyatta said.

The 52-meter blade span windmills will take advantage of high winds in the remote area.

Around 70% of Kenya's national electricity comes from renewable sources like hydro power and geothermal.

Kenya's [Lake Turkana Wind Project] is not the only existing wind power project on the continent. Africa has fully operational wind farms in Morocco, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

Lake Turkana is one of the world's largest salt-water lakes.  It is located in the Kenyan Rift Valley, where Africa is (over millions of years) splitting apart.  One day, long after we're all dust, Lake Turkana will be connected to the Red Sea.