Taiba N'Diaye Wind Power Station
Taiba N'Diaye Wind Power Station, ("Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN)" in French), is a wind power plant in Senegal. When completed, as expected in 2020, the power station will be the largest wind power station in West Africa. Location. The power station is located in the village of Taiba N'Diaye, approximately , northeast of the city of Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The wind farm occupies , in a semi-arid region of the country. Overview. The wind farm consists of 46 Vestas V126 turbines, each with rated capacity of 3.45MW. The turbines are being installed in  five rows spread over . Each turbine is mounted on a tubular steel tower measuring high and weighing . Development. The power station is owned and operated by Lekela, a British renewable energy development company, focusing on Africa. The power generated will be sold to Senegal National Electricity Company (Senelec), for integration in the national electricity grid. Senelec will purchase the power for 20 years from plant commissioning, according to the power purchase agreement (PPA) for the Taiba N’Diaye wind power project, signed in 2013. Upon completion, the 158.7 megawatts generated, will increase Senegal's generation capacity by 15 percent. The electricity  generated by each turbine will be transmitted through underground cables at 33kV, to the existing "Tobene" substation located , from the closest turbine of the wind farm. At the substation, the electricity will be stepped-up to 225kV. There will be no need for a high voltage transmission line. The "Tobene" substation will act as the project substation as well as the grid connection point. The estimated 400GWh generated annually at this power station is expected to supply an estimated 2 million customers and mitigate an estimated 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Construction. In 2018, Vestas, a Danish wind  turbine manufacturer, installer and servicer, was awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the 46 turbines of this power station. The contract includes supply, transportation and installation of the wind turbines. In addition, it includes operations and maintenance for 20 years. The contract for the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) of the Taiba N’Diaye wind power project, was awarded to Ramboll. Construction, which was ongoing as of January 2020, is in three phases: Costs and funding. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), of the United States, committed $250 million in financing and $70 million in  reinsurance for the wind power project, as early as September 2016. In August 2018, the "Danish Export Credit Agency" (EKF) also guaranteed an export loan facility for the project, worth €140 million (US$161 million). Political risk insurance was provided by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). Power Africa of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), also contributed to the development of this project. Energy storage. In May 2021, Lekela selected the Danish firm DNV, to carry out the feasibility studies for a 40 megawatt storage facility, on-site at its Taiba N'Diaye Wind Farm. The storage  facility will comprise batteries housed in 47 shipping containers, each measuring long. The storage system is intended to "store 175 MWh of electricity, enough to stabilize the national grid of Senelec, the Senegalese national electricity company".