Enel Green Power has started construction of the 140MW Oyster Bay wind farm in South Africa.
The €180m project is located in the municipality of Kouga in the Eastern Cape province and will comprise 41-turbines.
It is expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2021, when it will generate about 568 gigawatt-hours a year of electricity.
The wind farm is backed by a 20-year power supply agreement with local utility Eskom, as part of the South African government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
Enel Green Power head Antonio Cammisecra said: “With the start of construction of the fourth wind project in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, we are continuing to contribute to the socio-economic development of the area through our zero-emission energy and initiatives to create shared value.
“These initiatives include the innovative model implemented at the Oyster Bay construction site, as well as the sustainability activities focused on scientific and technical education in the area around the project.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to harness South Africa’s abundance of renewable resources, creating a virtuous circle of sustainable energy generation, education and development.”
The company has committed to ensure job creation in the community surrounding Oyster Bay, as well as prioritising education by supplying schools with clean energy through mini-PV systems.
It is also awarding scholarships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to local students, supporting school feeding programmes in the Kouga municipality and backing the employment of three full-time teachers.