Construction Of Wind Farms Solves Electricity Challenges, Worleyparsons Participates In The Wind Farm Renewable Energy Project. South Africa has entered an exciting period driven by the development of a new fleet of renewable energy plants.  This multi-billion dollar investment has the potential to greatly improve economic, social and environmental prospects for the country.

WorleyParsons South African CEO Digby Glover stated “We see, not only a clean energy boost for the national power grid, but also great economic development potential and we are proud to be playing a part in it,”. The local arm of the global consulting, engineering and project delivery group, WorleyParsons, is playing a critical role in the evolution of South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producing Program.

WorleyParsons is the design engineer for the Balance of Plant contract in the construction of the Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape. The R2.8bn project is set to inject 138 MW into the national power grid when it is commissioned next year. The Jeffreys Bay project is owned by a broad based consortium anchored by local investors including Thebe Investment Corporation, Enzani Technologies, Usizo Engineering, Globeleq, Mainstream Renewable Power and Old Mutual.  The consortium, entered into a 20 year power purchasing agreement with Eskom, governed by the REIPPP.

When complete the Jeffrey’s Bay Wind Farm will supplement the existing electricity supply and alleviate the short term strain on the national grid while serving broader socioeconomic objectives.

Boasting 60 wind turbines, Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm, is positioned as one of the largest wind farms in South Africa and a continental pioneer within the REIPPP space. Construction began in July and has proceeded smoothly. WorleyParsons‘s role includes gravel access road design, turbine base design, operations and maintenance building and associated infrastructure design. WorleyParsons is also conducting ad hoc site supervision and quality control assessments.

WorleyParsons adheres to the strictest quality control standards, observes the principle of local economic empowerment, and is a South African company that has one of the highest BBBEE ratings amongst its peers in the mainstream engineering sector. WorleyParsons’s Level 2 BBBEE rating flows out of a well-established enterprise-wide integrity management framework, OneWay™., “WorleyParsons OneWay™ framework ensures that we maintain the highest standards of sustainable business practice in all our dealings. This philosophy is fully aligned with South Africa’s transformation imperatives.

“Our transformation record speaks for itself,” said Glover.  Highlights in WorleyParsons’ transformation record include 30% ownership by a BBBEE trust which benefits the company’s previously disadvantaged employees. The company’s comprehensive BBBEE strategy has delivered high scores across the BBBEE scorecard and in critical elements like ownership, enterprise development, preferential procurement and skills development. 

The effectiveness of WorleyParsons’ BBBEE strategy is demonstrated by the Jeffreys Bay project which is owned by a broad based consortium anchored by local investors. The Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm contract was awarded as part of the first phase in the REIPPP. The fleet of wind and solar power facilities coming on stream under the first phase are positioned as pioneers in the broader plan designed to deliver about 18000 MW of renewable energy for the national grid by 2030. This will give South Africa a healthier power generation mix, lessening over reliance on non-renewable power generation.

In pursuing an environmentally friendlier mix of power generation, the government aims to encourage development of a local renewable energy industry which can be exported. Glover confirmed that “the experiences gained on the construction site of Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm have enabled effective knowledge sharing between local and international players”. The Jeffery's Bay Project has had an enormous positive impact on surrounding communities through commercial opportunities for small entrepreneurs and creating new jobs.

During construction, the project supported 500 contract jobs and will sustain 98 permanent jobs into the future. This project heralds the beginning of an exciting phase of development for South Africa and the rest of the African continent. Not only will it deliver clean energy but also comes as remarkable development catalyst.