SOUTH AFRICA – Enel Green Power RSA, the South African subsidiary of Italian electric utility Enel SpA, has announced that its 145 MW Garob wind farm in the Northern Cape province of South Africa has started commercial operations.
The wind facility erected near the remote town of Copperton, in the Siyathemba Local Municipality will generate around 573GWh of clean renewable energy every year.
The wind farm will prevent approximately 600,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere annually.
Enel Green Power RSA was awarded the tender to build the facility in April 2015 as part of the fourth tender round of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
The wind farm will supply power to state-owned electricity utility Eskom via a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement.
According to EGPRSA’s Country Manager, William Price, the facility was developed and constructed at an investment of over €200 million (US$225 million).
Construction of Garob wind farm started in Apr 2019 and it included the on-site building of concrete towers instead of prefabricated steel towers. The work was completed by local contractors and about 511 people from the local community were employed at the site during the construction phase of the project.
The operationalization of the 145-MW Garob wind farm brings Enel’s total operational projects in South Africa to 10, with a cumulative generation capacity of 800MW.
The Italian renewable energy giant plans to further expand its portfolio in South Africa through participation in future tenders and enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs) with industrial and commercial clients.
As part of their corporate social investment (CSI) EGPRSA, will run programs that support socio-economic development in the Siyathemba local area including Enterprise Development, provide free Wi-Fi to local communities, and mentor start-ups and entrepreneurs.
In January 2021, Enel Green Power RSA successfully reached commercial operation on its 140MW Nxuba wind farm in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
The Nxuba Wind Farm is expected to generate 460GW of energy annually and should help South Africa avoid the emission of approximately 460,000 tons of CO2 every year.
Salvatore Bernabei, Enel Green Power’s CEO, said the wind farm reaching commercial operation confirms the company’s commitment to South Africa, cementing its position as a leading independent power producer in the country.
The Nxuba Wind Farm is supported by a 20-year power supply agreement with Eskom and was built as one of five wind projects awarded to the Enel Group for 700MW of power during the fourth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme in 2015.
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