Name and Location
Noupoort Wind Farm project, Northern Cape, South Africa.

Client
The Noupoort project is being developed by a consortium comprising Lekela Power, a 60:40 joint venture between Actis and Mainstream Renewable Power, Thebe Investment Corporation, Old Mutual’s IDEAS Managed Fund, Futuregrowth Asset Management, and Genesis Eco-Energy in partnership with Lereko Metier Sustainable Capital and local community trusts.

Project Description
The project will consist of 35 wind turbines, with an output of 80 MW and a turbine capacity of 2.3 MW each, as well as a substation and 10-km-long 132 kV transmission line.

The wind farm is expected to generate about 305 000 MWh/y of clean, renewable energy into the national grid.

When operating at full capacity, it is expected to supply enough green electricity to power about 70 000 average South African homes and prevent about 300 000 t/y of carbon emissions.

The project is one of the first to start construction as part of the third round of the Renewable Energy Independent Producer Power Procurement Programme and is being built on an undeveloped site surrounding a small rural community, situated 11 m from the State-owned power utility Eskom’s 132 kV overhead transmission line, which the wind farm will feed into.

Value
R1.9-billion.

The debt for the project has been arranged and underwritten by Barclays and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Duration
The wind farm is expected to start commercial operation by mid-2016.

Latest Developments
The transportation of locally manufactured wind-turbine tower sections began on October 19, with abnormal-load trucks departing from Atlantis, in the Western Cape, on a 1 000 km, four-day journey to Noupoort, in the Northern Cape.

The turbine towers are the first to be manufactured by GRI - Renewable Industries at its R300-million facility near Cape Town and will enable the wind farm to achieve a local-content commitment of better than 40% of the project’s R1.9-billion capital cost.

The GRI facility is capable of producing 150 turbine towers yearly, with the first of Noupoort’s 35 towers, or 140 sections, being transported by trucks with oversized trailers of up to 57 m in length.

The turbines are being supplied by Siemens and transported by DHL and ALE.

The wind turbine components weigh 22 000 t collectively and will travel over 200 000 km along three different routes.  Besides the tower sections, the nacelles and hubs will travel a 400 km route from the Port of Ngqura to Noupoort.  The 53 m blades will also be transported from the Port of Ngqura along a separate 380 km route to the project site.

Erection of the 35, 99-m-tall turbines will take place on the Noupoort property, which spans 7 500 ha. A consortium of Murray & Roberts and Conco has been appointed as construction contractor and Siemens Wind Power will supply and install the wind turbines.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Siemens Wind Power (wind turbines), GRI - Renewable Industries (turbine towers) and Murray & Roberts Construction and Consolidated Power Projects (civil and electrical work).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Lekela Power, email info@lekela.com.
Siemens Wind Power, Cordula Ressing, tel +49 91 31 18 3700 or email cordula.ressing@siemens.com.
Murray & Roberts Construction, tel +27 11 456 1000, fax +27 11 590 5474 or email info.construction@murrob.com.
Consolidated Power Projects, tel +27 11 805 4281, fax +27 11 805 1132 or email conco@concogrp.com.
GRI - Renewable Industries, tel +34 91 379 19 00, fax +34 91 172 61 83 or email
info@gri.com.es.