Noupoort Wind Farm in South Africa’s Northern Capeis now connected to the Eskom grid and commissioning of wind turbines has commenced. The project is the first wind farm from round three of South Africa’s REIPPP to energize and is expected to also be the first to complete construction in the Northern Province by mid-2016.
The substation was energized on February 12 and the first turbines on February23, marking a pivotal point in the construction of the wind farm as the process of testing begins.
The team at Noupoort Wind Farm has been working closely with their contractor Consolidated Power Projects and the various Eskom teams to achieve this milestone. “We’re working together with the Eskom teams in both the Northern and Eastern Cape Operating Units to ensure a smooth and safe energisation and commissioning process,” added Martina Flanagan, project manager of the wind farm.
The substation is divided into two parts, one section is owned by the wind farm and the other section and the overhead line will be handed over to Eskom for ownership and operation. The substation is situated in the centerof the wind farm and is the place where all the 33 kV cables from the turbines meet. At this meeting point the power from the wind farm goes through power quality checks and measurement devices. Following this, the power is directed through the transformer where the voltage is increased to 132 kV. The power is then exported from the transformer on a single power line. At this stage the power crosses onto the Eskom side of the substation where further power quality checks and measurements are completed before exporting onto the 10-km long 132-kV line which connects the wind farm to the main Eskom grid for distributing electricity.
Construction of the wind farm is progressing smoothly with over half of the project’s total 35 wind turbines having already been erected. The transportation of the various components is also running according to schedule and is expected to reach completion by end-March.