Italian electricity and gas distribution company, Enel, through its local renewable energy subsidiary, Enel Green Power, announced that its 145 MW Garob wind farm, located near the town of Copperton, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, has achieved commercial operation.
Awarded as part of the fourth tender round of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program in April 2015, the $225.7 million project involves a 20-year power purchase agreement with the country’s national utility company, Eskom, and is expected to generate 573 GWh per year while mitigating 600,000 tons of CO2 annually.
Commercial operation of the Garob wind farm marks the tenth Enel Green Power-operated wind/solar site in the southern-African country, providing an overall capacity of over 800 MW. Other renewable energy facilities operated by the company are located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State, and Limpopo provinces.
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The renewable energy company has also expressed plans to expand its asset portfolio through future tenders and power purchase agreements with local industrial and commercial clients.
Demonstrating Enel Green Power’s commitment to local development, the company stated that the peak construction phase of the project involved the employment of 511 people from the local community, with several Creating Shared Value initiatives having also been implemented, supporting scholarships and local sponsorships, as well as providing personal protective equipment, food parcels, and blankets to underserved communities in the area.
