Enel Green Power South Africa (EGP South Africa) has started commercial operations at the Impofu North wind farm, part of the 330 MW Impofu wind farm cluster in Humansdorp, Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The facility will supply power to Air Liquide Large Industries South Africa and Sasol South Africa’s operations in Mpumalanga province through a wheeling arrangement.
Once fully operational, the Impofu wind farm cluster will consist of three distinct wind farms: Impofu East, Impofu West, and Impofu North. The cluster will provide a significant boost in delivering renewable energy to Sasol South Africa and Air Liquide Large Industries South Africa.
The project will consist of 57 wind turbines, 8 substations and 130 km of 132kV high-voltage overhead electricity lines.
All three projects in the cluster are expected to reach full commercial operation this year. They will help Air Liquide and Sasol reduce both their carbon footprint and electricity costs at their Mpumalanga operations, which include the world’s largest oxygen production facility.
The Impofu wind farm cluster will complement Enel Green Power South Africa’s existing platform of over 1.2GW of renewable energy projects that it has in operation in South Africa.
Impofu wind farm cluster to improve local communities
Manuele Battisti, Country Manager at Enel Green Power South Africa highlighted that the Impofu projects align with the company’s commitment to the global transition to a low-carbon future.
“Through strategic partnerships, EGP South Africa is proud to spearhead these transformative wind farm projects, marking a significant leap forward in our mission to power the country’s sustainable future,” stated Battisti.
“As we forge ahead with our strategic vision for a sustainable future together, we remain dedicated to not only providing innovative, clean energy solutions in South Africa, but also creating shared value for our partners, communities and clients while enabling progress with sustainable energy, environmentally, socially and financially,” added Battisti.
According to Enel, the new transmission lines from the wind farms will not only enhance South Africa’s grid capacity but also reflect the company’s commitment to creating shared value (CSV) within the communities where it operates.
The projects coordinate up to 60 different landowners and will provide substantial social and economic benefits for local communities. These include a range of community upliftment initiatives and job creation opportunities during both the construction and operational phases.
