Enel, through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power RSA (EGP RSA), has started construction of its Karusa and Soetwater wind farms in South Africa, with an installed capacity of 140 MW each.
The plants, which are both located in the Karoo Hoogland District, Northern Cape province, are expected to be completed by the end of 2021. Karusa and Soetwater will involve an investment of over US$220 million each.
“With the start of construction of Karusa and Soetwater, we are now building five wind projects in South Africa, for a total installed capacity of around 700 MW, which is further evidence of our ability to supply emission-free energy to this country, supporting its transition towards renewables,” said Antonio Cammisecra, CEO of Enel Green Power.
The robust pipeline of projects under construction comes on top of the major portfolio of wind and solar assets that have already commissioned by Enel Green Power.
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Anonnio said Enel has worked with determination and commitment in South Africa since it first started development activities in the country in 2011.
“We are showing the same determination when it comes to innovation and sustainability, as all of our plants are being built through state-of-the-art technology and sustainable construction practices, while creating local employment and income opportunities,” he said.
He added that the company is committed to further leverage on the wealth of renewable energy resources in South Africa, so as to continue contributing to its sustainable development and to create shared value for the stakeholders.
Karusa and Soetwater are the fourth and fifth wind projects Enel Green Power has started building in South Africa since the beginning of 2019, in line with its investment programme in the country.
The other projects, with an installed capacity of 140 MW each, are Nxuba and Oyster Bay in the Eastern Cape, as well as Garob in the Northern Cape. All five projects were awarded to Enel in Round 4 of the South African government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
EGP RSA already has more than 520 MW in wind and solar plants in operation in South Africa. Its solar plants are Upington (10 MW) and Adams (82.5 MW) in the Northern Cape, Pulida (82.5 MW) in the Free State, Tom Burke (66 MW) in Limpopo, and Paleishuewel (82.5 MW) in the Western Cape. Its wind farms include Nojoli (88 MW) and Gibson Bay (111 MW), both in the Eastern Cape.
READ: Enel Green Power begins construction of Oyster Bay wind farm in South Africa
Once fully operational, Karusa and Soetwater are each expected to generate over 585 GWh annually, each avoiding the annual emission of around 611,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. The wind farms will be supported by a 20-year power supply agreement with the South African energy utility Eskom, in line with the Government’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) programme.
During the construction phase of Karusa and Soetwater, EGP RSA is expected to utilise state-of-the-art tools and practices such as advanced digital platforms and software solutions that will monitor and remotely support all site activities and plant commissioning, digital tools to perform quality controls on site and smart tracking of wind turbine components.
These processes and tools are aimed at enabling swifter, more accurate and reliable data collection, improving the quality of construction and facilitating communication between on-site and off-site teams. Furthermore, EGP RSA is committed to employing local staff as well as hiring local contractors in the construction process, with the aim to promote meaningful socio-economic and enterprise development.
Enel Green Power is the Enel Group’s company dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of more than 43 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants.
