Kenya plans open-ended green energy fund - government - Kenya plans to launch an open-ended green energy fund in the next fiscal year to step up generation of environmentally friendly energy, a senior government official said on Thursday.

A reliance on hydro dams for electricity in east Africa's biggest economy has often led to blackouts whenever rains fail and growing demand has stretched state utility firms and the infrastructure they have installed. [Engineering News]

Africa’s large-scale wind turbine market set for growth, study says - The African large-scale wind turbine market would likely earn revenues of $424,3-million by 2015, a significant increase on the $148,4-million earned in 2008, growth consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan forecast.

The consultancy noted that this forecast was focused on wind turbines of 600 kW, 660 kW to 850 kW units and units above 850 kW. [Engineering News]

Zambia economy to grow 7% in '10, 8% in '11 - Zambia's economy is likely to grow by 7% this year and 8% in 2011 due to a resurgence in copper exports and booming construction and manufacturing, central bank governor Caleb Fundanga said on Thursday.

"I am always an optimist; I think it's always good to set your sights very high," Fundanga told Reuters in an interview. [Engineering News]