South Africa has begun construction works of 140 MW Garob wind farm located near the town of Copperton, Siyathemba Local Municipality, a few weeks after it broke ground for the 140MW Oyster Bay wind project, in the Kouga Local Municipality of the country’s Eastern Cape province.
Also Read:Morocco to construct Africa’s highest wind tower
Garob wind farm
The construction works of the Garob wind farm, situated in an area that is fast becoming a renewable energy hub in South Africa due to the growing number of both solar and wind farms in the region, include installation of 46 wind turbines and building concrete towers on-site instead of using pre-fabricated steel towers in a bid to improve local employability during the development phase.
Enel Green Power RSA (EGP RSA) a renewable arm of Italy’s Enel SpA was awarded the new project during the fourth bidding window under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
Once fully operational in mid-2021, Garob wind farm is anticipated to generate around 573 GWh annually, bringing to an end the emission of about 600,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Enterprise Development (ED) initiatives
Enel Green Power has plans to launch Enterprise Development (ED) initiatives in the communities residing close to the wind farm once Garob is operational. This initiatives include the Herbal Lean Incubation Programme, which shall be providing mentorship and support services to start-ups in the agro, bio and food technology field.
Earlier, the company had implemented sustainability projects in the Northern Cape such as the installation of an artificial turf football field that captures and stores rainwater. The harvested rainwater is then cleaned by use of a water purification facility to addressing water shortages and providing clean drinking water to the Northern Cape occupants. Other initiatives include establishment of free Wi-Fi to local communities, in an effort to support public authorities’ plans to roll out free Wi-Fi networks in under-served communities.
