Mainstream completes first round of foundations at 80-MW wind park in S Africa

Ireland's Mainstream Renewable Power said today its has completed the first 14 foundations of the 80-MW Noupoort wind park in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.

All 35 foundations of the plant are due for completion in just a few months from now.

The turbines for the wind farm will be supplied by Siemens Wind Power, with the 99-metre turbine towers to be the first manufactured at the new Gestamp wind turbine tower factory in Atlantis, Western Cape.

Once operational, Noupoort wind farm is expected to generate approximately 305,000 MWh annually, enough to power approximately 70,000 local homes and offset some 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission per year.

Currently, Mainstream is building two more wind farms in South Africa’s Northern Cape. Together with Noupoort wind farms, they represent an installed capacity of 360 MW.

The Irish firm has been awarded a total of 848 MW of wind and solar projects under the government’s renewable energy procurement programme since 2011. In 2014, it put online three wind and solar facilities and in June 2015 it was awarded preferred bidder status for an additional two wind farms in the country’s Northern and Western Capes.

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