ENEL, through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power RSA (EGP RSA), has begun construction of its 140 MW Nxuba wind farm in the Amatole District, making it the group’s third wind project in the Eastern Cape.
The construction of Nxuba, which is expected to be completed by September 2020, will involve an overall investment of more than 200 million euros (R3.2 billion).
“Through the start of construction of the Nxuba wind farm, which is the first out of the five projects awarded to the company in South Africa’s 2015 renewable tender to begin construction, Enel confirms its commitment to grow and strengthen its presence in the country,” said EGP Head Antonio Cammisecra.
“This new project reaffirms EGP RSA’s contribution to further diversify South Africa’s generation mix, while supplying sustainable energy to Eskom, and promoting the socio-economic growth of local communities.”
Once fully up and running, Nxuba is expected to generate over 460 GWh per year, avoiding the emission of around 500,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.
The wind farm will be supported by a 20-year power supply agreement with the South African energy utility Eskom, as part of the South African government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) tender, which awarded in April 2015 a total of five wind projects for 700 MW to the Enel Group in its fourth round.
According to EGP RSA, the new wind farm will have advanced digital platforms and software to monitor and remotely support site activities and plant commissioning, as well as to perform quality controls on site and smart tracking of wind turbine components. “These processes and tools will enable swifter, more accurate and reliable data collection, improving the quality of construction and facilitating communication between on-site and off-site teams,” the company said in a statement.
In addition, the company, with its local partners, has committed to ensure meaningful socio-economic and enterprise development, preferential procurement, and job creation in the surrounding communities, involving local businesses as suppliers, providing free WiFi to communities in the area and holding wind technology training courses for locals.
EGP RSA will also supply schools with clean energy through mini-PV systems, awarding scholarships to students and supporting a school feeding programme.
The other projects awarded to EGP RSA in Round 4 of the REIPPPP tender are the 140 MW Oyster Bay wind farm, also in the Eastern Cape, as well as the 140 MW Garob, the 140 MW Karusa and the 140 MW Soetwater wind plants, all in the Northern Cape.
EGP RSA already has more than 520 MW in wind and solar plants in operation in South Africa. Its solar plants are the 10 MW Upington and the 82.5 MW Adams, in the Northern Cape, the 82.5 MW Pulida in the Free State, the 66 MW Tom Burke in Limpopo, and the 82.5 MW Paleishuewel in the Western Cape. Its wind farms include the 88 MW Nojoli and the 111 MW Gibson Bay, both in the Eastern Cape.
Enel Green Power is the Enel Group’s global business line dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power boasts a managed capacity of about 43 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower.