Catching the wind AFRICA’S biggest wind energy facility – the 60-turbine Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm just off the N2 near this Eastern Cape coastal town – has been hailed as a symbol of the government’s highly successful renewable energy |programme. The privately funded R2.9 billion wind farm, with a 138MW (megawatt) capacity, was officially opened this week after six years of development planning and a tight 18-month construction programme. It was one of the successful bids in the first round of the government’s renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme that, after next month’s fourth round, should see a total of 3 650MW of “green” electricity produced by private operators using wind, solar, hydro, landfill gas and biomass generation. All this electricity will be bought by Eskom at prices established through the open bidding process that costs up to $1 million (R10.7m) a bid. The Jeffreys Bay wind farm was developed and partly financed by Mainstream Renewable Power, a world leader in renewable energy projects headed by industry pioneer and global entrepreneur Dr Eddie O’Connor, with majority financing from Globeleq, an industry leader with green energy projects totalling close to 14 000MW in about 25 countries. Other investors are Old Mutual, black empowerment group Thebe, a dedicated community trust, black-owned electrical contractor Enzani Technologies and Joburg-based Usizo Engineering. By John Yeld / Pictures: John Yeld (Read more in todays Cape Argus)
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 05:45:24 +0000
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