Name of the Project
Kangnas Wind Farm and Perdekraal East Wind Farm.

Location
The Kangnas Wind Farm is located near Springbok, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. The Perdekraal East Wind Farm is located 80 km north-east of Ceres, in South Africa’s Western Cape province.

Project Owner/s
The equity members of the projects include African Rainbow Energy & Power; H1 Holdings; local community members through established community trusts, with shareholding funded by other project equity partners; Lekela; Mainstream Renewable Power, along with a consortium of investors, such as the International Finance Corporation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund; and Old Mutual Life Assurance Company.

Project Description
The project entails the construction of two wind farms with a combined capacity of 250 MW.

Kangnas will have a 140 MW capacity and Perdekraal East a 110 MW capacity.

Perdekraal will generate about 368.8 GWh/y, which is expected to be enough power for up to 95 000 South African homes.

The projects were awarded under the South African Department of Energy’s fourth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

Potential Job Creation
During the construction phase of Perdekraal East Wind Farm, local communities will have access to skills and training opportunities, as well as greater job and business opportunities than those previously available in the area. Perdekraal and its contractors will also focus on procuring goods and services locally.

Employment will fluctuate over Perdekraal’s two-year construction period, with local employment peaking during the latter half of 2018, when an estimated 150 jobs will be created.

The Kangnas Wind Farm is providing employment for more than 275 people from the surrounding local Springbok community during the construction phase.

Capital Expenditure
The projects represent an investment of about R6.6-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
The two wind projects will be connected to the country’s national grid by August 2020.

Latest Developments
Kangnas Wind Farm celebrated the simultaneous completion of two major construction milestones – the erection of the first of its 61 wind turbines and the completion of its final turbine foundation – on July 23.

These milestones have been completed slightly ahead of schedule and within budget.

The first wind turbine lifting is a pivotal point in the construction of the wind farm, with the next major construction milestone being the arrival of the main transformer and the energisation of the substation.

Turbine assembly takes about a day to complete, in favourable weather, and includes six hours for the final rotor lifting, in addition to almost three hours of preassembly work. 

“It’s a remarkable process to watch. The lifting exercise is rather complicated, with one of the two cranes raising the assembled 106-m-diameter rotor and the second crane providing support. This requires great skill and is a really impressive manoeuvre,” Kangnas Wind Farm assistant construction project manager Cebo Ngcai has said.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Absa (debt); Simmons & Simmons and White & Case (lenders’ legal adviser); Fasken and Stoel Rives (sponsor legal counsel); Concor and Conco (construction contractor) and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (supply and installation of wind turbines).

On Budget and on Time?
The wind farm’s construction schedule remains on track for commercial operations to start at the end of 2020.

Contact Details for Project Information
Mainstream Renewable Power, tel +27 21 657 4040.
H1 Holdings, tel +27 21 201 6432 or email info@h1holdings.co.za.
Lekela, tel +44 203 301 6280 or email info@lekela.com.