Sutherland power grid boosted with wind power

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy officially launched the Roggeveld Wind Farm in the Northern Cape. Sutherland and surrounding areas will are about to reap the benefits of the new wind energy programme.

The unveiling of the plaque at the launch of Roggeveld Wind Farm #InvestInSAEnergy pic.twitter.com/oUQhBN1BEM

— Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ‏ (@DMRE_ZA) May 21, 2022

The R 4.4-billion project has started feeding about 150 megawatts of clean energy into the electricity grid. The Roggeveld Wind Farm has created a total of 857 jobs during construction and it is expected that approximately 660 jobs will be created over the plant’s 20-year operational life according to the Department.

The turbines are erected in an area known for its strong winds. There are currently 47 turbines producing 147 megawatts of wind power. The 100 metre concrete towers were manufactured in Cape Town, while the 62,5 metre blades were imported. Its construction started in 2018 and was completed earlier this year.

The wind turbines at the Roggeveld Wind Farm. pic.twitter.com/uLnz9EW9JD

— Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ‏ (@DMRE_ZA) May 21, 2022

Deputy Minister in the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane says Roggeveld is one of the most successful projects that signed the Power Purchase Agreement.

“As you know government is trying to come up with many different energy programmes to alleviate energy poverty in the county. Today we are here to launch what we call Bid Window 4, it is an energy renewable programme where Red Rocket implemented projects of renewable energy and is going to supply over 49000 people in this area with power. It is a huge investment for the county and the people around this area.” says Nkabane.

Chief Executive Officer of the construction company, Red Rocket, Matteo Brambilla, says blowing winds will ensure more reliable and affordable energy supply. He adds that renewable energy is more reliable than any other form of power and that the efficiency and reliability of this plant is close to 100%. He further explains that the problem with solar energy is that one cannot predict the sun because it is only available during the day. He insists that with wind however, with the storage and other form of compensation off the grid, you can actually make it like almost a base loan type of energy.

Several other new green energy projects are on he cards for the Northern Cape in the near future.