Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is to supply 109 turbines to two wind farms in South Africa. Once the turbines are in place, it will mean Siemens Gamesa will have installed more than 850 MW of wind capacity in the country.
The SWT-2.3-108 turbines will each have a rated capacity of 2.3 MW and a 108-metre diameter rotor. The 140 MW Kangnas windfarm is near Springbok in the Northern Cape, while the 110 MW Perdekraal East wind farm is 80km northeast of Ceres in the Western Cape.
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A consortium led by Mainstream Renewable Power was awarded the contracts for the windfarms by the Department of Energy in South Africa as part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme. Mainstream is an independent global developer of renewable energy based in Dublin, Ireland.
Siemens Gamesa will start supplying the wind turbines early next year and the project is scheduled for completion in 2020. Janek Winand, managing director of Siemens Gamesa South Africa, said the project is “the next big milestone” for the company in South Africa.
“We are proud to offer services with a localized team based in Johannesburg with long lasting experience and determined to generate value for South Africa by creating jobs, supporting local manufacturing and driving development projects within local communities.”
Siemens Gamesa has been active in South Africa since 2014 and now has an accumulated capacity of 324 MW capacity. A 10-year full service agreement has also been signed for both wind farms, which together are expected to supply electricity for around 214,000 homes.
