Name and Location
Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farm projects, Northern Cape, South Africa.

Client
The wind farms are owned by a consortium led by Lekela Power, a joint venture between Actis and Mainstream Renewable Power.

Other members include Thebe Investment Corporation; the IDEAS Managed Fund; Futuregrowth Asset Management; Genesis Eco-Energy, in partnership with Lereko Metier Sustainable Capital; and the Khobab and Loeriesfontein Community Trusts.

Project Description
The project entails the construction of the Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farms, which are situated adjacent to each other in the Hantam municipality, in the Northern Cape, which will have a combined generation capacity of 280 MW.

The energy generated by the new wind farms will be sold to South African power utility Eskom, in line with the 20-year power supply agreement, as part of the third round of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

The wind turbines will be supplied by Siemens Wind Power, with the 99 m turbine towers being manufactured at the new Gestamp wind turbine tower factory in Atlantis, in the Western Cape. Civil and electrical works will be completed by a consortium comprising Murray & Roberts Construction and Consolidated Power Projects.

Value
The wind farms represent a total investment of about R7-billion.

Duration
The projects are expected to be operational by December 2017.

Latest Developments
The first of 1 098 wind turbine components are en route from the deepwater Port of Ngqura, 20 km north-east of Port Elizabeth, to Loeriesfontein, in the Northern Cape, which will soon become home to the largest expanse of wind turbines on the African continent.

The 122 wind turbines at Khobab and Loeriesfontein, which together span 6 653 ha, will produce a combined output of 280 MW – enough to power 240 000 average households a year, providing a significant boost to energy provision in South Africa. 

“This massive logistical undertaking equates to over 1 000 loads that will travel to site over the next sixteen months,” Khobab Wind Farm project manager Kevin Foster has said, adding that this is “by far” the most expansive transportation programme that the industry has seen to date. “The operation will cover over 2.5-million kilometres and move 42 000 t of wind turbine components.”

Trucks with oversized trailers, in varying lengths of up to 57 m, will deliver the various components to the wind farms between April 2016 and August 2017.  

All loads will travel to site as single consignments with a rear escort at all times.

Escorts, an important safety measure, will provide warning to third-party road users of the oncoming abnormal transport, which are typically prohibited from travelling at night, on public holidays or during school holidays.

The wind turbines for the project have been supplied by Siemens while the transportation campaign is being managed by DHL and ALE.

Most of the wind turbine tower sections are being manufactured by GRI Towers South Africa in Atlantis, in the Western Cape. To meet demand, GRI Towers’ R300-million facility underwent a major expansion to allow for a 20% increase in production output. 

The locally manufactured sections mean that Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farms have achieved local content commitments exceeding 40% of the project’s total value. 

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Siemens Wind Power (wind turbines), Gestamp (turbine towers) and Murray & Roberts Construction and Consolidated Power Projects (civil and electrical works), DHL and ALE (transport of wind farm components), GRI Towers South Africa (towers) .

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Mainstream Renewable Power, tel +27 21 657 4040 or email Info-southafrica@mainstreamrp.com.
Actis, tel +27 11 778 5900, fax +27 11 327 7407 or email info@act.is.