Electrical engineering and electronics company Siemens is joining partners in the inauguration of the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm. The launch of the wind farm is a re-markable milestone for South Africa as it is one of the largest wind farms in the country. The site spans a 3 700 ha site and comprises 60 Wind Turbine Generators with a capacity of 2.3 MW each supplied by Siemens.
[quote_box_center]Tom Pedersen, head of Wind Power division at Siemens says: “This is a monumen-tal occasion for us at Siemens and for our partners. We actually completed the project and delivered it ahead of the schedule and that shows high levels of commit-ment, efficiency and dedication particularly for a project of this scale.”[/quote_box_center]
The wind farm, which has been developed by a consortium which is majority owned by Globeleq and its consortium partners that include Mainstream Renewable Power South Africa entered into a 20 year power purchasing agreement with Eskom, governed by the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
“Siemens delivered and installed SWT-2.3-101 turbines with 80 meter hub height. Through various milestones, today we have connected all 60 to Eskom’s grid. This bodes very well for diversifying our energy mix. Renewable energy is arguably one of the key pillars of sustainable growth,’ says Pedersen.
The model of the turbines installed in Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm has firmly established itself as the tried and tested workhorse for reliability and set a new standard for productivity.
[pull_quote_center]“The SWT-2.3-101 can deliver greater output from lower wind speeds owing to its longer blades which in turn yield more energy,” explains Pedersen. Notably, the wind farm has also managed to achieve a sterling Health and Safety record, surpassing the 1 Million hours without lost time incident mark.[/pull_quote_center]
Pedersen concludes: “We are indeed proud and elated of the launch of Jeffrey’s Bay Wind Farm. It has been a tremendous journey for our partners and all stakeholders involved. We have formed a solid ground for wind energy in the country from which valuable expertise and experience can benefit future projects in the continent.”
