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Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farm projects, South Africa

13th January 2017

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Name of the Project
Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farm projects.

Location
The Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farms are located adjacent to each other in the Hantam municipality, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.

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 will have a combined generation capacity of 280 MW, generated by their 122 wind turbines.

The Loeriesfontein Wind Farm will have sixty-one, 99-m-high wind turbines erected on 3 453 ha of agricultural land. The wind farm will connect to a 132 kV Eskom line.

When operating at full capacity, it will generate about 563 500 MWh/y of clean renewable energy.

Similarly, Khobab Wind Farm will have sixty-one, 99-m-high wind turbines erected on 3 200 ha of agricultural land. The wind farm will connect to a 132 kV Eskom line.

When operating at full capacity, the Khobab Wind Farm will generate about 563 500 MWh/y of clean renewable energy, which will supply electricity to power up to 120 000 South African homes. Khobab Wind Farm will eliminate an estimated 550 000 t/y of carbon emissions, compared with emissions of traditional fossil fuel power plants.

The wind turbines will be supplied by Siemens Wind Power, with the 99-m-high 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.

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 (REIPPPP).

Jobs to be Created
Not stated.

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

Duration
Both wind farms are expected to be operational in late 2017.

Latest Developments
The Khobab Wind Farm has completed all 61 of its wind turbine foundations ahead of schedule.

The first foundation pour was completed on June 30 using low quantities of Portland cement in the concrete formulation. This makes Khobab wind farm the greenest in the country, alongside Khobab’s sister project, the Loeriesfontein Wind Farm.

Slag, a by-product of the iron industry, was used to replace 89% of the cement, creating one of the world’s lowest carbon footprints for any wind farm foundation.

Each turbine base has a diameter of 19 m, comprising more than 45 t of reinforced steel.

The material excavated from the foundation bases was of a good quality and was subsequently reused on site, specifically for the wind farm road construction and in preparation for the turbine hard stands, situated adjacent to the foundations.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Siemens Wind Power , along with subcontractors Fairwind and BMS (wind turbine installation), 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.
 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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