Wesley-Ciskei wind farm now connected to the grid
South Africa, Hamburg: EDF Renewables says their 34.5 MW Wesley-Ciskei Wind Farm near Hamburg in the Eastern Cape has reached commercial operations.
Image source: ESI Africa
South Africa, Hamburg: EDF Renewables says their 34.5 MW Wesley-Ciskei Wind Farm near Hamburg in the Eastern Cape has reached commercial operations.
The wind farm is now supplying electricity to the national grid.
The Wesley-Ciskei Wind Energy Facility is comprised of 10 turbines supplying 34.5 MW AC. The technology employed on the wind farms includes some of the largest wind turbines installed in South Africa. The turbines feature a hub height of 117 m and each blade is 63 m long, making each turbine stand 180 m tall.
“It was a big transportation challenge to navigate the South African road network with extremely heavy turbine components and blades that are up to 63 m in length. These components were delivered to Wesley-Ciskei Wind Energy Farm and installed in two months,” explained Carl Wlotzka, EDF Renewables project manager.
The project included an SMME (small, medium and micro enterprises) developing and upskilling programme, facilitated by SAICA ED, which helped about 50 SMMEs in the communities surrounding the project site to work in the following areas: health and safety, communication, financing and tendering.
The project is the subject of an academic study by the University of the Free State to assess the socio-economic impact that the Wesley-Ciskei project has on the local communities since it is the first renewable energy project under REIPPPP (Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme) to be located in the former homeland area.
Phase one of the academic study developed a baseline for the area and phase two will measure the same indicators at the end of the construction phase in order to measure a comparative effect.
Source: ESI Africa