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Lekela is an international organisation, with our people based in Senegal, Egypt, South Africa and the UK. We want to shine a light on the amazing work our people do across Africa and in Europe and hear directly from our employees on what life at Lekela is really like.
Over the coming months, we’ll be speaking to different employees across Lekela’s business to hear what they’re working on and what led them to this industry.
Today we’re speaking to Yassine Madjallah, Plant Manager at Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye, Lekela’s 158.7MW wind project in Senegal. Read below for some of Yassine’s thoughts on what led him to Lekela and what life at Lekela is really like.
What led you to a career in renewables and to Lekela?
When I first heard about the opportunity at Lekela, I was working on the construction of two high-voltage substations in Dakar. I was very aware about the Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye development, but was surprised that the project was progressing so quickly. I even got in the car to see the wind farm with my own eyes and confirm all the good things I had heard. I was really impressed by the project’s reach within the community and the positive impact it was having, both locally and nationally. At that moment, I was sure that I wanted to be part of such an amazing project and put all my energy into it.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
One of the best parts of being the plant manager is the fact that I deal with so many different stakeholders, all of whom come from a range of backgrounds and have different perspectives. This can range from a farmer who needs to cross the roads inside our site, to an insurance company requesting our maintenance plans for the turbine firefighting system, or Senelec, Senegal’s national energy utility, requesting changes to our operational set points, or even an ambassador from the UK or Switzerland visiting the site. Every day we have a different story to tell, a message to deliver and most importantly, kilowatts of clean and sustainable energy to export to the Senegalese grid.
What has it been like developing and now managing Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye? What do you think the project represents for Senegal?
I joined Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye during the construction phase, which gave me the opportunity to see each component of the wind turbines arrive on site and then be installed. Now, I am managing the windfarm and feel very proud to see those components working to produce clean energy for Senegal each day and contributing to Senegal’s development. I am also very proud to be part of such a great local team overseeing the operations of such an important project, while delivering the greatest benefits for Senegal.
Is there anything else about your time at Lekela that you’d like to tell us about?
One of the things I like most about Lekela is that it is an ambitious company working on many different fronts. Although we finished construction on the windfarm at Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye just last year, we are already advancing negotiations on the region’s first battery storage project. At the same time, we are also launching development activities to expand the existing plant. At Lekela, we feel like we are part of a wider vision to improve the lives of millions of people across the African continent, by delivering safe, sustainable energy for the decades ahead.
