The Ashegoda Wind Farm, Africa's largest wind farm inaugurated in Ethiopia on 26 October 2013.

The US$289.68 million project was built by the French company, Vergnet SA with concessional loans provided by BNP Paribas and the French Development Agency (AFD). The Ethiopian government covered 9 percent of the cost, according to Reuters.

The 120 MW, 84-turbine farm located more than 780 kilometers north of Addis Ababa is part of a plan to boost generating capacity during the dry seasons.

"Various studies have proved that there is potential to harness abundant wind energy resources in every region of Ethiopia. We cannot maintain growth without utilizing the energy sector," Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in a speech during the inauguration ceremony.

Construction of the Ashegoda Wind Farm was launched in 2009 with completion scheduled for 2011 but logistical problems delayed its completion, according to Reuters. The Ashegoda Wind Farm is the second wind power project in Ethiopia after the 51 MW Adama I wind farm, which began production in 2011.

Source: Reuters