The 48 Siemens Gamesa 2.3-108 wind turbines at Perdekraal East wind farm in South Africa are now fully operational. African renewables developer, Lekela revealed the report and said they have started commercial operations at the 110MW wind farm.
“This is the first wind farm from Round 4 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme to come online. This milestone cements Lekela as one of the leading providers of clean, renewable energy in the country,” said Lekela’s Chief Executive Chris Antonopoulos.
Perdekraal East wind farm
Construction of Perdekraal East, which is situated within the Witzenberg municipality in the Western Cape, started in 2018. The 110 MW wind farm comprises of 48 wind turbines each 115 m high. Spanning 3 055 ha, the location of the Western Cape’s largest Bid Window 4 wind farm was chosen because of its excellent wind resource and its proximity to national roads for wind turbine transportation.
Read:South Africa new power plants programme launched
The site also offers favourable construction conditions, municipality and local stakeholder support, a suitable connection to the national grid. According to construction project manager Glenn Hobson, around 70% of the workforce responsible for building the foundations came from these beneficiary communities. The project will provide approximately 360 GW/h of electricity each year.
This mega project will have great impact not only on the national grid but also on the economies of surrounding communities in the Western Cape’s Witzenberg local municipality. Independent utility-scale wind and solar power plant developer Mainstream Asset Management South Africa will be responsible for managing its operation.
In addition to zero carbon emissions and reduced use of fossil fuels, South Africa will benefit from minimal water consumption during the generation process and significant social and enterprise development programmes.
