Mainstream reaches commercial operation at 80-MW Noupoort wind farm in S Africa

Ireland's Mainstream Renewable Power said today the 80-MW Noupoort wind farm in South Africa has achieved commercial operation, the first Round 3 REIPPP project to do so.

The wind plant, part of the South African government's Round 3 Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP), satisfied all the requirements of power utility Eskom on July 11, thus achieving its commercial operations date (COD) on schedule and on budget.

All 35 turbines of the project have been commissioned and connected to the Eskom Grid. The ZAR-1.9-billion (USD 130.3m/EUR 118.1m) wind farm, located in the Umsobomvu Municipal Area in the Northern Cape, reached COD only 17 months after the start of construction. Mainstream announced that all turbines have been installed at the wind farm at the start of April.

The project is owned by a consortium led by Mainstream's 40/60 joint venture (JV) with private equity firm Actis. The JV has two other wind projects under construction in South Africa, totalling 280 MW.

South Africa now has 15 large wind power plants totalling more than 3 GW and generating enough electricity to power more than half a million households, Mainstream said.

(ZAR 10.0 = USD 0.686/EUR 0.622)

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