Community

West Bakr Wind is a multi-decade project. While construction takes only two years, an agreement has been signed that will ensure the project’s wind turbines generate electricity for Egypt over the space of 20 years.

Up to 500 direct employment opportunities will be created during peak construction, along with other opportunities created through the use of local services. This will benefit the surrounding area financially and generate improved skills and knowledge.

As the wind farm is located in an important route for migrating birds, Lekela is working closely with local authorities to ensure this wildlife is protected. One way of doing this is by building a shutdown on demand programme to quickly stop wind turbines when needed.

As well as this project, Lekela is building wind farms in other African communities including Ghana, South Africa and Senegal. At each site, Lekela invests in a programme of activities to improve education, enterprise and the environment in the local community.

This same approach is being applied here in Egypt where a programme of socio-economic activities has been started. This will continue throughout the lifetime of the wind farm and several million will be invested in different projects.

These projects focus on creating sustainable livelihoods. They include protecting local wildlife, providing vocational training and opportunities for young members of the community and improving local infrastructure.

You can read more about Lekela’s approach to community investment in the company’s annual sustainability report.