Name and Location
Grassridge Wind Farm, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Client
The Grassridge wind farm is owned by Grassridge Wind Power, a project company comprising local wind energy developer Innowind, which holds a 60% interest in the project; the Industrial Development Corporation, which owns 14%; and the Grassridge Winds of Change Community Trust, which represents the interests of the local Motherwell community, owning the balance.

Project Description
The project involves the construction of a 61.5 MW wind farm at cement company PPC’s Grassridge quarry, in Port Elizabeth.

The wind farm will comprise 20 wind-turbine generator sets of 3 MW each and will be connected to the Eskom grid through a 132 kV power line and a new on-site substation.

The project forms part of the Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

Value
The project is estimated at R1.2-billion.

Duration
Construction is expected to take 20 months, with the farm to produce electricity in mid-2015.

Latest Developments
Construction of the R1.2-billion, Grassridge Wind Energy Facility, in Nelson Mandela Bay, officially started on October 16, 2014.

The wind farm is the first wind energy project to be established at the site of a working limestone quarry. The construction of the wind farm forms part of the company’s long-term rehabilitation plans for the mine.

Once completed, the facility will comprise 20 Vestas V-112 wind turbines of 3 MW each, with a combined installed capacity of 61.5 MW, delivering electricity equivalent to the yearly consumption of about 40 000 households.

The first construction phase will run from October to July 2014 and will include the building of roads, foundations and a new on-site substation, which will link the wind farm to the existing Grassridge substation at the Coega industrial development zone.

The turbines, which will include the towers, nacelles, hubs and blades, will be erected between July and November 2015.

Besides the most complex turbine parts, infrastructure elements and wind farm components will be sourced in South Africa.

The wind farm’s initial contract period, as set out by the DoE, is 20 years; however, with proper maintenance, the facility could have a much longer life span.

The electricity produced will be sold to Eskom, with 26% of the benefits directed to the Motherwell community through the Winds of Change Community Trust.

Money channelled into the trust will be administered by the board of trustees to fund community-boosting projects in the areas of education and sports, as well as enterprise and skills development.

While PPC has provided only the land for this project and will not receive electricity directly from the project, the Grassridge Wind Energy Facility is only the first step in the company’s renewable-energy plans.

PPC, in partnership with Innowind, is planning a second phase for the Grassridge project that will entail the construction of a 24 MW wind farm under a bilateral power purchase agreement.

This second phase is currently in the feasibility stage and if all goes according to plan, construction will start at the end of next year.

Once commissioned, the second phase will supply 10% of PPC’s local electricity requirements.

PPC is also considering other renewable-energy sources to reduce the company’s dependence on coal and eventually make a complete shift towards renewable energy.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Vestas Southern Africa (wind turbines), Power Construction (civil construction), Brand Engineering/Besamandla (electrical contractor).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
InnoWind, tel +27 41 487 2418 or fax +27 41 484 3038.
EDF Energies Nouvelles, tel +33 1 40 90 21 48 or email service.presse@edf-en.com.
Power Construction, tel +27 21 907 1300 or email media@powergrp.co.za.
Brand Engineering, tel +27 21 550 9100, fax +27 21 550 9108 or email info@brandsa.com.
Besamandla, tel +27 21 550 9100.