South Africa saw the first of almost 1,100 wind turbine components start the journey to Loeriesfontein, which will soon be home to the continent’s largest expanse of wind turbines.
Khobab and Loeriesfontein Wind Farms, which together span 6,653 hectares, will produce a combined output of 280 MW generated from 122 wind turbines.
Transportation has now commenced, with the first wind turbine blades departing from the Port of Ngqura.
The majority of the wind turbine tower sections are being manufactured by GRI Towers South Africa in Atlantis, Western Cape. In order to meet demand, the R300 million facility underwent major expansion allowing an increased production output of 20%.
“This expansion was funded by foreign direct investment into South Africa. Furthermore, local employment has been upped, along with a training and skills transfer program to teach scarce skills,” explains Leo Quinn, Project Manager of Loeriesfontein Wind Farm.
The locally manufactured sections mean that Khobab Wind Farm and Loeriesfontein Wind Farm have been able to achieve local content commitments exceeding 40% of the project’s total value. “Local content has a vital role to play in the long-term growth of the renewable energy sector and its positive impact on the country,” Quinn adds.