Each spring, Lekela publishes its annual Sustainability Report, setting out how we deliver clean and reliable energy projects in Africa while meeting the highest environmental, social and governance standards. Upholding standards of energy excellence is one of our key commitments, and provides us with a framework that ensures we can deliver renewable energy in a sustainable way that keeps our people and projects safe.
In 2021 Lekela’s portfolio capacity grew by 32% to 1,035MW – driven by the completion of the 252MW West Bakr Wind Farm in Egypt. We are proud that this project was delivered without major delay despite the supply chain and logistical challenges we faced as a result of Covid-19 throughout its construction. The project increased Egypt’s wind power capacity by 18%, and in 2021 it helped Lekela to generate 2,803 GWh of clean energy and avoid over 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
A key aspect of our work in 2021 was developing robust measures to mitigate pandemic-related risks. Working alongside our partners and asset managers, we developed remote working protocols, rapid testing and social distancing measures to help keep our staff safe and minimise the impact of the pandemic on construction and delivering clean energy.
In tandem, climate change has increased the intensity and frequency of extreme weather and natural disasters, posing new risks to businesses and communities, particularly those in developing nations. In response to this reality, Lekela is continually working to put protective measures in place to help mitigate the risks to our wind farms and our ability to operate.
Above and beyond all else, keeping our staff and contractors safe is our absolute priority at Lekela. We’re always seeking to develop how we do this, and we’re pleased to say that 2021 saw continued strong health and safety performance. We had zero Lost Time Incidents across the year, meaning our West Bakr project was complete without a single reportable incident over 2 million work hours.
Upholding these standards for our energy, projects and health and safety is essential to achieving our mission – to energise Africa’s sustainable future and provide stability and value for customers.