The wind farm is expected to generate an annual production of 460 GWh thereby offsetting 420,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and providing clean renewable electricity for nearly 100,000 South African households.
The inauguration of the wind farm follows celebrations held in April to mark the start of operations at two of the company’s solar facilities, the 50 MW De Aar and 50 MW Droogfontein installations on the Northern Cape. All three installations are part of South Africa’s renewable energy programme and are among the very first large scale renewable power plants to be built in the country.
“The completion of these facilities is the result of a truly global partnership with the Government of South Africa and Eskom and the private sector of developers, investors, lenders, constructors, suppliers and the local community” said Mikael Karlsson, Globeleq’s CEO. “It demonstrates significant support for independent private power producers in the region and indicates the sustainability of the renewable energy sector. As the leading African private power company, Globeleq is committed to pursue further investments in clean and reliable power for the region.”
The government’s renewable energy programme has prioritized job creation and skills development in order to sustain the industry over time. More than 700 people have worked on the Jeffrey’s Bay project during its construction, of which 45 percent were drawn from the local community. A percentage of the revenues from the wind farm will also be reinvested into the community through socio-economic and enterprise development programmes in order to generate the skills needed to expand the growth of the renewable energy sector in South Africa.
Globeleq is the majority shareholder in a consortium consisting of Mainstream, Old Mutual, Thebe, Enzani, Usizo and the Amandla Omoya Trust. The operation and commercialisation of the three sites will be managed by the company’s South African subsidiary.
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