Enel Begins Construction on 140 MW Wind Farm in South Africa

Enel Green Power RSA, has started construction on its 140 MW Garob wind farm located near the town of Copperton in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.

Italian energy conglomerate Enel, through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power RSA, has started construction on its 140 MW Garob wind farm located near the town of Copperton in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. Garob, which is the Group’s fifth wind project in the country, will involve an investment of over 200 million euros.

“With the start of construction of Garob, we have reached yet another important milestone in South Africa just weeks after breaking ground at the Oyster Bay wind project,” said Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enel Green Power. “Alongside boosting renewables growth in South Africa, we are focusing our sustainability activities on scientific education, which significantly contributes to the skills needed for power industry professionals, with a view to supporting local expertise. Looking ahead, we will continue to break ground on the projects we were awarded in South Africa and to launch shared value initiatives for local communities, while scouting for further sustainable growth opportunities in the country’s renewable industry.”

Garob is the third renewable project Enel Green Power has started building in South Africa since the beginning of this year, in line with its investment programme in the country. The other projects are the Nxuba and Oyster Bay wind farms, of 140 MW each, for a total capacity of 420 MW under construction in South Africa.

Once fully operational, due by the first half of 2021, the 46-turbine wind farm is expected to generate around 573 GWh per year, also cutting down on an annual emission of around 600,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. The 140 MW project was awarded to EGP RSA during the fourth bidding window under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).

In the fourth round of REIPPPP, Enel Green Power won a total of five wind projects for around 700 MW. Other projects awarded to the company in round four were the 140 MW Karusa and the 140 MW Soetwater wind plants, also located in the Northern Cape province, as well as the Nxuba and Oyster Bay, which are both located in the Eastern Cape province.