Enel Green Power has started construction of its 140MW Garob wind project in South Africa, one of the largest in the country.
The €200m wind farm is located near the town of Copperton, which is part of the Siyathemba local municipality, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
The 46-turbine Garob is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2021.
It was awarded to Enel Green Power during the fourth bidding window under the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
Garob is the third renewable energy project Enel Green Power has started building in South Africa since the beginning of this year, following the Nxuba and Oyster Bay wind farms, which are also 140MW each.
Enel Green Power head Antonio Cammisecra said: “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.
“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 support local expertise.”
The Northern Cape province is becoming a renewable energy hub in South Africa due to the growing number of both solar and wind farms in the region, according to Enel.
Concrete towers will be built on-site at Garob, instead of pre-fabricated steel towers, to enhance local content during the construction phase.
Enel Green Power will launch Enterprise Development initiatives in the communities living in the proximity of the wind farm once Garob is operational, such as the Herbal Lean Incubation Programme, which provides mentoring and support services to start-ups in the agricultural and food technology fields.
Sustainability projects that Enel Green Power implemented in the Northern Cape include the installation of an artificial turf football field that captures and stores rainwater.
A water purification facility is used to clean the rainwater, addressing water shortages and providing clean drinking water.
Other initiatives include free Wi-Fi to local communities.
In the fourth round of the REIPPPP, Enel Green Power won a total of five wind projects for around 700MW.
Other projects awarded to the company in round four were the 140MW Karusa and the 140MW Soetwater wind plants, also located in the Northern Cape province, as well as Nxuba and Oyster Bay, which are located in the Eastern Cape province.
Enel Green Power already has more than 520MW in wind and solar plants in operation in South Africa.