Enel Green Power South Africa (“EGP South Africa”) has begun construction of three new wind farms in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.
The wind farms – Impofu East, Impofu West, and Impofu North – will provide energy to Air Liquide Large Industries South Africa (“Air Liquide”) and Sasol South Africa (“Sasol”), and are expected to become operational in 2026.
The projects will consist of 57 turbines, eight high-voltage substations, as well as 120km of 132kV high-voltage overhead electricity lines and will provide up to 330MW of renewable energy via a wheeling framework agreement with Eskom to Sasol’s Secunda site in the Mpumalanga province where Air Liquide operates the world’s largest oxygen production facility. The projects will complement the existing platform of over 1.2GW of renewable energy that EGP South Africa already has in operation.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Manuele Battisti, Country Manager at EGP South Africa, said that the projects align seamlessly with the Enel Group’s strategic vision for 2024 to 2026.
“In line with our commitment to the global transition to a low-carbon future, the construction of these wind farms marks significant progress as we see our vision of driving the future of sustainable energy in South Africa come to life. 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.
The new transmission lines from the wind farms will not only improve South Africa’s grid capacity, but, will supply nearby communities.
Picture of Oyster Bay wind farm, Enel Green Power.