EDF connects 34.5 MW Wesley-Ciskei wind farm in South Africa to the grid

Renewable energy independent power producer (IPP), EDF Renewables, has successfully connected the Wesley-Ciskei Wind Energy Facility (WEF) to South Africa’s national grid, the company announced this week. 

“We now have grid connection, so we can start hot-commissioning of the turbines and complete the reliability testing. After that we will prove Grid Code Compliance, which will be verified by Eskom (RETEC), and thereafter we will start Commercial Operations,” said EDF Renewables Project Manager, Carl Wlotzka.

The wind energy facility is situated near Hamburg in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Wesley-Ciskei comprises 10 wind turbines that have a power supplying capacity of 34.5MW AC. 

EDF Renewables, a subsidiary of the French electricity company, Électricité de France (EDF), was awarded the preferred bidder status to develop the Wesley-Ciskei Wind Energy Facility (WEF) in the 4th round of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). The IPP project was amongst the 27 projects awarded during the 4th bid window of the REIPPP programme.

Danish company, Vestas Wind Systems, was the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for Wesley-Ciskei wind farm. Construction of the wind farm started in September 2019.

The Wesley – Ciskei Wind Energy Facility (WEF) will supply power to South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

“The Wesley-Ciskei wind project is of great importance to the Eastern Cape Province. It is the first and only wind energy project located in a former region of the Eastern Cape Province, although this region represents nearly 40% of the province’s land mass and is home to 60% of the province’s population,” said EDF.