The Lake Turkana Wind Power project is located in Loiyangalani District, Marsabit County, Kenya. It comprises of 365 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 850kW, and a high voltage substation that will be connected to the Kenyan national grid through an associated Transmission Line.
The wind farm is ready to provide 310MW of reliable, low cost and green energy that will power one million Kenyan homes.
Having already invested a significant amount in the initial road construction required to transport the 365 wind turbines throughout the 250 km wind farm, the roads now require an upgrade. In total 1095 blades spanning 55m and 365 towers measuring 36m traveled the gravel roads.
LTWP contacted Soil Solutions for a cost-effective and sustainable solution. Soil Solutions conducted an original site assessment in October 2017 and then developed a long-term cost-effective sustainable solution that will protect the initial capital infrastructure investment and allow for a much-improved road network, while reducing required future maintenance. This includes the integration of the Engineered Base Stabilizer (EBS) to stabilize and surface seal the initial 50 km section of the road network. This will allow for a hard surface fully protected from any erosion or material loss. This will also eliminate any wind or vehicle-generated dust and increase the efficiency of the turbines. To ensure that the project is concluded in a cost-effective and efficient manner an RSL Recycler Machine was also recommended for the project.
Site Inspection May 2018: An inspection of the current state of the roads was conducted to advise of the methodology that would be required in the preparation of the EBS application.
Application August 2018: The existing surface is ripped, sacrificed, or recycled, then shaped to provide proper drainage, compacted to a smooth finish then sealed with the EBS Soil Stabilizer in multiple coats until the point of refusal is reached. The EBS is allowed to penetrate then the road is opened for traffic.
Result: a re-constructed surface layer with a newly created wearing course with complete dust elimination, improved skid resistance, total preservation of fines and material, is non-slippery, water and UV resistant, free from the formation of potholes, rutting, and corrugation, improved load-bearing capacity, increased tensile strength and a reduced environmental impact.
Inspection April 2019: 9 months after the original application a site inspection was conducted and the road surface was in great condition with no maintenance work having been performed. No signs of erosion, potholes, corrugation or rutting were evident and the surface was completely dust-free.
THE EBS SURFACE SEALED ROAD SURFACE IS NEVER TO BE GRADED OR WATERED … The objective of the EBS Surface Seal is to eliminate the requirement for any future watering or grading of the surface.
After 18 months (or when required) the surface may need a maintenance application of EBS at a reduced application rate.
