Development of Grassridge Windfarm in Eastern Cape to Help Diversify South African Energy

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--InnoWind (Pty) Limited (Eastern Cape, South Africa), a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles (Paris, France), plans to construct the Grassridge Windfarm Power Station, a 60-megawatt (MW) windfarm. The facility will be built on commercial farm land 46 kilometers northwest of the rural town of Cradock, a local municipality of the Eastern Cape province. The total estimated value of this investment is $115 million.

The project will consist of 20 Vestas V-112 wind turbine generator sets of 3 MW each. Vestas South Africa (Pty) Limited (Gauteng, South Africa) has been chosen as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. Construction of this facility is slated to begin toward the end of 2013. If all goes as planned, the windfarm is slated for full operations at the end of 2014.

One of the many benefits to the local community is that the windfarm will create an important technology transfer in the Eastern Cape province. Vestas will develop a skilled workforce by providing integrated education and training to ensure maximum knowledge of the installation, operation and maintenance of the Grassridge Windfarm Power Station.

The windfarm will provide about 60 MW of clean, renewable energy that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and it will help to satisfy the growing electricity demand in the Eastern Cape province. Innowind seeks to meet the goals for South Africa by providing the cleanest and safest generated energy possible by harnessing the highly favorable sun and wind within that region.

As a nation that continues to depend heavily on coal, South Africa is working on ways to increase its energy output and diversify its power-generating capacity to make electricity clean and affordable while meeting rising demand. The Grassridge windfarm will be a significant benefit to the province, as it will improve the local infrastructure and boost alternative resources. It is expected to create a large number of jobs throughout its different stages.

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