The MetroWind Van Stadens wind farm, in the Eastern Cape, was on track to start generating power to the grid by February, after Grindrod’s 50%-owned subsidiary Vanguard completed the erection of nine Sinovel SL3000 3 MW wind turbines, with electrical installation currently under way.
The turbines arrived on June 5 and 11 from turbine manufacturer Sinovel Wind Group, in China, and the erection kicked off in mid-July.
The project, delivered within budget and on schedule, would become the first of eight wind farms to come on-line as part of round one of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
The R550-million 27 MW wind farm was projected to have a 20-year life span and would generate 80 000 MWh/y of electricity – enough to power 5 000 to 6 000 households.
“The successful completion of this project makes Vanguard the only South African-owned company, with fully licensed and registered equipment, and expertise, which can offer a full turnkey project solution to the growing wind-energy market,” Vanguard MD Bryan Hodgkinson said.
Basil Read Matomo was the lead engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project.
Sixty-seven per cent of the wind farms included in the REIPPPP thus far, are based in the Eastern Cape.