Eastern Cape to become South Africa’s Renewable Energy Hub | 7th wind farm launched
After seeing its 7th wind farm being launched – Kouga Wind Farm – in the Eastern Cape (and fully operational), the Province has cemented itself as the wind farm hub of renewable energy generation drive in South Africa.
Investment into wind energy in South Africa, Particularly the Eastern Cape is showing encouraging figures. Officials from the Eastern Cape have even reported that they are implementing a long term plan spanning a 20 year period where there would be a flow of a R2 billion+ in the community investment in the region.
26% of The Kouga Wind Farm is owned by The Kouga Wind Farm Development Trust.
Kouga Wind Farm | Specs
Kouga Wind Farm boasts 32 turbines which is able to produce enough electricity to power 55 000 households. Kouga Wind Farm has the capacity to deliver 300 gigawatt hours of electricity per annum.
It cost R 2 billion rand to construct and is located at Oyster Bay in the Eastern Cape.
Does Kouga Wind Farm add value to our community?
With South Africa’s electricity grid under immense pressure, I think that the answer is an undeniable “yes”! The Kouga Wind Farm will bring about much needed relief on the grid. As part of government’s renewal energy programme, wind farms is expected to contribute more than 1800 megawatts of electricity to the grid.
Besides the relief to the grid, there is also the aspect of job creation for the surrounding communities. Six hundred job opportunities were created during the construction phase of the Kouga Wind Farm. In addition to the Wind Farm being erected, over R2 billion was invested in the community to build a sufficiently equipped mobile clinic and schools. The surrounding community is will be receiving development improvements in the areas of health, child care food security, education, sport and infrastructure development.
Watch this space.
To read more about the Kouga Wind Farm and the community development projects, CLICK HERE.
