Name and Location
Sere wind power project, Western Cape, South Africa.

Client
Eskom.

Project Description
The project will involve the development of a wind farm, with an initial capacity of 100 MW, at Sere, near Koekenaap, in the Western Cape. It will comprise 46 turbines of 2.3 MW each, which will be positioned over 16 km2. The area will accommodate a 200 MW facility in the future.

Eskom modelling expects that the project will be able to produce 298 000 MWh/y from 2014, most of which will be fed into the national grid. The balance will be used in house.

The project will be connected to the grid through the Skaapvlei substation at 132 kV and into the existing Juno–Koekenaap distribution line.

The project is being developed under Eskom’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. It is hoped that similar projects will be undertaken by the utility and independent power producers throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

The initial phase of the project is forecast to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4.7-million tons over the projected 20-year life of the plant.

Value
R2.4-billion.

The project has been funded by a group of development finance institutions, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Clean Technology Fund (CIF) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Duration
The project is expected to deliver first power to the national grid in the first half of 2014, with full commercial operation scheduled for the end of the year.

Latest Developments
Eskom has reported that the first seven wind generators at its R2.5-billion Sere wind farm project, in the Western Cape, have been synchronised to the grid and that the project is on track for full commercial operations by the end of March 2015.

Renewables GM Ayanda Nakedi says the synchronisation milestone, which took place on October 10, is in line with its target date of December 2014 for the completion of construction.

The 100 MW project will incorporate 46 Siemens wind turbines and is being being developed on a 3 700 ha site in Skaapvlei, near the town of Koekenaap, which is 350 km north of Cape Town.

Each Siemens 2.3-108 turbine has a height of 115 m, a rotor diameter of 108 m and a power output of 2.3 MW. The project also includes construction of a new substation and 44 km of 132 kV distribution line linking the new Skaapvlei substation to the existing Juno substation.

Eskom is forecasting average yearly energy production of about 298 000 MWh, which it claims to be enough electricity to supply about 124 000 “standard homes”.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
AfDB, World Bank, AFD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank and the CTF (loan finance); Siemens (46 wind turbines) and Powertech (substation).

On Budget and on Time?
The construction of the Sere wind farm is expected to be completed by the end of 2014, but Eskom aspires to have the project completed much earlier than indicated.

Contact Details for Project Information
AFD South Africa, tel +27 11 540 7100, fax +27 11 540 7117 or email AFDJohannesburg@afd.fr.
AfDB, Kurt Lonsway, tel +216 7 110 3313 or email k.lonsway@afdb.org.
Eskom media desk, tel +27 11 800 3304/3309/3343/3378, fax +27 86 664 7699 or email mediadesk@eskom.co.za.
Eskom investor relations manager Khanyi Makhaya, tel +27 11 800 2277, fax +27 11 800 2043 or email investor.relations@eskom.co.za.
KfW project coordinator Stefanie Peters, tel +27 12 423 6357, fax +27 12 42 423 6360 or email kfw.pretoria@kfw.de.
Siemens energy sector Meike Wulfers, tel +49 40 2889 8702 or email
meike.wulfers@siemens.com.
Powertech communications manager Regula Niehus, tel +27 11 706 7184.