Over 260 pupils at the Namaqualand High School in Springbok in the Northern Cape region of South Africa got the lowdown on clean energy when Mainstream Renewable Power’s 140MW Kangnas wind farm school roadshow rolled up.
The interactive session not only showed how wind energy is harnessed, but also shed light on the new career opportunities that will arise as South Africa transitions towards renewable energy.
Mainstream said construction of the nearby 140MW Kangnas Wind Farm is approaching completion.
The visit inspired plenty of questions from students, many of whom expressed an interest to visit the wind farm when it enters operation later this year.
The roadshow is an education programme focussed at high school learners that has been designed to spur interest in renewable energy career fields, raise awareness of the construction process and set out how communities will benefit from having a wind farm as a neighbour.
Mainstream is building the project for its Africa joint venture Lekela Power.
Kangnas will deliver 562,000 megawatt-hours of electricity a year when operational, powering up to 120,000 South African homes.
It will also eliminate approximately 550,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year when compared with traditional fossil fuel power plants.