Description
Project Name: Taiba N’Diaye
Project owner: Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN)
Standard: Verra VCS
Project ID: 2588
Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) is Senegal’s first large scale wind energy project and a critical part of the government’s “Plan Senegal Emergent”. The wind farm is designed to generate electricity for at least
Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) is Senegal’s first large scale wind energy project and a critical part of the government’s “Plan Senegal Emergent”. The wind farm is designed to generate electricity for at least 20 years through its 46 wind turbines. During that time, up to $20m will be invested by the project in wider socio-economic projects for Taiba N’Diaye.
The plant provides 158.7 megawatts of clean, reliable energy to Senegal’s electricity grid. This is a 15% increase in electricity generation capacity for the country, providing green electricity for over 2 million people, it will also help to reduce the cost of electricity generation in Senegal, which is one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. PETN will be one of the lowest cost producers of electricity in the country.
PETN is a project owned by Lekela, which builds wind farms in other African communities. As well as providing clean electricity, each Lekela project invest in programs that create sustainable livelihoods for the communities. This include making improvements to local agriculture, providing vocational training and opportunities for young members of the community and improving local infrastructure.
For Taiba, they created a Community investment plan (CIP) which has enabled several projects to be launched:
They set up a school and launched a scholarship program for students. They encourage scientific fields which were not very developed in the region/universities due to lack of resources (professors/availability of books) but are now on the increase.
They have planted 5,000 trees in 3 years and plan to plant a further 5,000 over the next 3 years for a total of 10k (more than was cut down to build the power plant).
And finally they have installed dumpsters throughout the city at “standardized collection points” (licensed by the government) for proper waste management, which has also created jobs.
Impact
Senelec (the national electricity company) buys kWh from thermal power plants at 40% higher prices than from wind power plants.
The project helps to reduce the electricity bill of Senegalese households.
The plant was built through advanced technology transfer from industrialized countries.
This project is the largest windfarm in West Africa.
PETN used the local workforce to build the plant.
The wind farm had created over 600 employment opportunities during the peak of its construction phase.
Around 80% of Senegal’s energy production comes from fossil fuels.
The project helps to reduce the gap between fossil fuels and renewable energy.
CSR Action
Following discussions with the Taiba N’Diaye Women’s Association, PETN started a project to rebuild the Mbayenne marketplace. It is now a clean, shaded space in which Taiba’s vendors can sell fresh and other produce. The improved working conditions ensure better wellbeing for vendors and customers alike.
PETN is building a brand new IT centre for schoolchildren at Le Lycée de Taiba Ndiaye. Once built, the 1,500 students at Le Lycée will have access to fast, modern computers, giving them the chance to learn and build their own digital futures.
PETN has built over 700 desks and benches for schools in the area. The desks have been manufactured with wood recycled from the shipment crates used to transport components to the wind farm during construction, preventing the materials from going to waste.
