The Garob Wind Farm, in the Siyathemba municipality of the Northern Cape, has successfully started commercial operations.
The 145 MW facility was awarded to Enel Green Power South Africa in April 2015 as part of Bid Window 4 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
Construction of the wind farm started in April 2019 and included the on-site building of concrete towers instead of prefabricated steel towers, and the work was completed by local contractors.
The €200-million project marks the tenth operational wind and/or solar site of the company in South Africa, which now has a total installed capacity of more than 800 MW.
During the construction period, Enel Green Power made sure to assist the nearby communities with material for making furniture, personal protective equipment, blankets, food parcels, tablets for school students, university scholarships and sponsorships for local sports events.
Now that the site is operational, Enel Green Power will launch enterprise development initiatives, including to assist startups in the agro-, bio- and food technology fields, and clean water and WiFi access initiatives.
The company’s other renewable energy facilities are located across the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, the Free State and Limpopo.