South Africa: Mainstream to take delivery of South Africa’s largest locally-manufactured wind turbine tower order

Global wind and solar company, Mainstream Renewable Power, today started overseeing the transportation of wind turbine tower sections from their manufacturing facility near Cape Town to the Noupoort Wind Farm site in South Africa’s Northern Cape. Mainstream is currently building three wind farms in the country’s Northern Cape which have a combined capacity of 360 megawatts. All 157 wind turbine towers for the three wind farms are being manufactured by GRI – Renewable Industries at its local manufacturing facility located in Atlantis.

The R300 million facility currently employs 240 people and will increase this figure to 270 during 2016.  It is capable of producing 150 turbine towers a year; the first 35 of which are for the 80MW Noupoort wind farm which is being built by Mainstream. The 35 towers are being transported in 140 sections along the 1,000km route which takes four days to complete.

“We are delighted to be receiving the first of these locally manufactured wind turbine towers at Noupoort Wind Farm. Local content has a vital role to play in the long-term growth and sustainability of South Africa’s hugely successful renewable energy programme,” explained Martina Flanagan, Project Manager for Noupoort Wind Farm.

The three wind farms comprise the 140MW Khobab wind farm and the 140MW Loeriesfontein 2 wind farm, both located in the Namakwa District Municipality, as well as the 80MW Noupoort wind farm located in Umsobomvu Local Municipality.

Janek Winand, the head of Wind Power and Renewables at Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa says: “Adding local value by supporting development is indeed a key priority for Siemens. In the pursuit of this we have managed to be part of the local manufacturing of key components for the wind farm industry through building a new tower factory in Atlantis. Creating sustainable work opportunities and development within the community.”