Supporting sustainable mini-grid development and local production of wind turbines using the case of Kenya (Kenya Miniwind)

The project aimed to develop a market for low-cost, partly locally produced kW wind turbines for rural electrification in Kenya. It sought to demonstrate the technical, social, and economic feasibility of integrating a kW wind turbine into a solar-powered mini-grid and to develop this concept into a viable business for the private companies involved, enhancing their technical, economic, and management capacity The long-term objective of the project was to reducing poverty, stimulating economic growth, and increasing sustainable energy supply. 

From the learnings gathered in phase one, Vestas, the technology provider, determined that the market was too immature at the time to proceed to phase two. Despite not moving to the second phase, the project succeeded in conceptualising, installing, and testing a demo turbine. It also facilitated policy processes for off-grid electrification and produced valuable knowledge products about markets, local production bases, and the challenges of establishing local production in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project increased awareness and demonstrated the potential for integrating wind turbines into mini-grid systems in the future, while also enhancing the capacity within the Kenyan developer sector.