These wind turbines are made of local obtainable materials and with basic tools and thus can be serviced and maintained successfully.

http://www.i-love-windpower.com/01%20Projects%20rev01/01%20Mali/01%20POD/02%20ProjectOverviewDocument_inet.htm#_Toc245289682

Conventional technologies

Table 4.4 shows an overview of conventional used technologies in Mali and their energy consumption. Rural areas are strongly dependent on transported fossil fuel and prices of generating a kWh can get as high as 85 Euro cents, making it inaccessible for many. However, in most cases these conventional technologies can be substituted by affordable wind power.

Current situation

The electricity supply in Mali is limited and expensive. 10 percent of the population has access to electricity. Thirty percent of the urban population (30%) and less than 1 percent of the rural population (70%) has access to electricity. The on grid electricity supply in urban areas is in hands of Energy du Mali (EDM) in which the government is the majority shareholder. They benefit from a monopoly position. Mainly electricity is generated by 1 to 4 MW diesel generated power plants.
5.1.4. Commercial competitive benchmarking

An initial assessment on an economic model with small-scale wind energy for Mali has been carried out and shows clearly its sustainable competitive character in the energy supply market of rural places in Mali. The assessment indicates that these specific small wind turbines give the opportunity for Malians to prosper in manufacturing and selling the turbines and that these sold turbines can provide affordable electricity in rural areas.

These wind turbines are made of local obtainable materials and with basic tools and thus can be serviced and maintained successfully. Also the initial costs of these turbines are merely a fraction of the commercially available turbines. These two new advantages have been absent so far and this has led to failure of previous attempts to introduce wind power to Mali [http://www.solarbuildings.ca/c/sbn/file_db/Ren%20energy%20sources%20in%20Mali.pdf].

Furthermore the assessment shows that competing with energy suppliers in on-grid places is currently hardly feasible, but could become so in the future, anticipating that their energy prices will rise due to the strong dependence on fossil fuel price. The past already has shown this increase and there are no clear indications why this should not continue to rise in the future.

5.1.5. Energy security

The current energy security is unstable as it is directly dependent on the price of fossil fuel; an increase fossil fuel prices will lead directly to less access for the public (becomes too expensive). Wind energy however provides robust energy security. It is independent of rising fossil fuel prices or political instabilities. It can be assumed that the wind will, on average, blow each year with the same power, thereby guaranteeing energy security, based on statistical reliability.


5.1.6. Capacity building

The project will provide technical training and job opportunities at rural communities and possibilities to train the next generation of constructing and servicing such wind turbines. These wind turbines can be relatively easy repaired with local materials. Seen the skills of the Africans to keep their automobiles running, it is foreseen that they will succeed in keeping these wind turbines also running.