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Wind Energy

SAWEA CEO bullish about SA wind energy outlook

By: Tracy Hancock 26th October 2018 As forecast, 2018 is shaping up to be a landmark year for the South African energy sector, South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) CEO Brenda Martin tells Engineering News. Bolstering South Africa’s energy sector is much-improved policy certainty, transparent decision-making and public... →

Industry growth demands maintenance skills

By: Tracy Hancock 26th October 2018 With the growth in wind energy utilities, the demand to install, repair and maintain such facilities in Africa, including South Africa, is on the rise, says Knowledge Pele (KP) Academy head Richard Setati. He tells Engineering News that many reports and commentators attest to the overall growth... →

Klawer awaits PPA signature, while Roggeveld surges ahead

By: Tracy Hancock 26th October 2018 Having received preferred bidder status three years ago, Cape Town-based wind farm developer G7 Renewable Energies’ Klawer wind farm project awaits a power purchase agreement (PPA) signature before undertaking the 18 months of construction needed to add 5 MW of electricity to the national grid. →

KILIAN HAGEMANN A key area of improvement would be greater visibility and certainty of future power procurement, but G7 Renewable Energies is confident that the new Integrated Resource Plan will address this

Wind farm to power local development

By: Tracy Hancock 26th October 2018 The R3.1-billion Perdekraal East Wind Farm, in the Western Cape’s Witzenberg local municipality, has started work on its electrical distribution network, edging closer to not only making an impact on the national grid but also on the economies of surrounding communities. →

Wind energy investors watching S Africa closely

By: Tracy Hancock 26th October 2018 For the last several years, from the wind industry’s perspective, the South African government has done everything it can to discourage investor confidence; however, that has changed with the new government, states Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). →

Loeriesfontein Wind Farm connected to grid

27th October 2017 Loeriesfontein Wind Farm as well as Khobab Wind Farm, both located in the Northern Cape, are now connected to State-owned power utility Eskom’s grid, through Eskom’s Helios substation and the commissioning of wind turbines has started. “We energised the wind farm substations with Eskom... →

STATE CONNECTIONS Loeriesfontein and Khobab should start supplying electricity to the national grid by early December, in the meantime the developers continue to work closely with Eskom

Conference aims to strengthen cross-border relations

By: Nadine James 27th October 2017 The prospects for wind power within and beyond the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) will be discussed at this year’s Windaba conference and exhibition, exploring opportunities outside South Africa’s borders, and consider ways of establishing cross-border... →

ANSWERS IN THE WIND The Windaba programme has been designed to be relevant regardless of whether the mid-term outlook is good or uncertain

Proper lubrication directly correlates with safety

27th October 2017 Lubrication can have a big impact on the safety of wind turbine operations by reducing operational safety risk at an operation during equipment servicing and maintenance, says oil company ExxonMobil Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) SHC brand adviser Rainer Lange. He explains that, inspecting... →

GREASE THE SKIDS Reducing human-machine interaction requires having a robust lubrication programme that prevents unnecessary downtime and extends the service intervals of wind turbine equipment

Photo by Bloomberg
GREASE THE SKIDS Reducing human-machine interaction requires having a robust lubrication programme that prevents unnecessary downtime and extends the service intervals of wind turbine equipment

Rotor blade manufacturing facility officially opens in Tangier

27th October 2017 Wind turbine components manufacturer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) officially inaugurated its new rotor blade factory in Tangier, Morocco, earlier this month, at an event chaired by Moroccan Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy, Moulay Hafid El Alamy, and Siemens... →

Wind energy sector still attractive to investors

By: Nadine James 27th October 2017 Shorter fabrication time, lower costs for parts, and increased repeatability and uniformity have led to impressive improvements in the wind energy sector, says multidisciplinary engineering consultancy WSP Africa power director Dinesh Buldoo. “For instance, there is significant focus on advanced... →

DINESH BULDOO WSP Africa states that several wind projects have progressed through the planning pipeline, and the industry continues to generate significant investor and developer interest

Wind training facility increases course offering

By: Nadine James 27th October 2017 Accredited wind energy training facility the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC) has become a Global Wind Organisation- (GWO-) certified training facility, and can now offer the GWO Basic Safety Training (BST) and Basic Technical Training (BTT) qualifications to wind... →

NAIM RASSOOL The formal wind turbine service technician qualification programme is offered every six months

Company sees potential for growth in wind energy

By: Kimberley Smuts 28th October 2016 Owing to Southern Africa’s vast coastline and high winds, energy distributor Vert Energy believes that there are plenty of opportunities for the wind power division of its business to grow, in both the residential and independent power producer (IPP) sectors. Vert Energy MD Grant Robertson... →

GRANT ROBERTSON Vert energy has positioned itself at the forefront of the energy sector in Southern Africa

WindAc Africa to spark wind energy discussions

28th October 2016 The South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea) highlights that a unique opportunity is arising for the first time for academics and researchers to share knowledge on wind energy in Africa, in the form of the first academic conference – WindAc Africa – on the subject to be held on the... →

Offshore wind farm on track for first energy this year

28th October 2016 Digital industrial company GE unit, global energy financial solutions provider GE Energy Financial Services, and global bank Citi, announced earlier this month, the closing of tax equity financing on offshore wind and transmission developer Deepwater Wind’s Block Island wind farm, the first... →

Photo by Bloomberg
OFFSHORE WIND FARM The Block Island wind farm is a landmark project in the US renewable energy market

Wind industry celebrates a million jobs

28th October 2016 The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reports that wind industry growth has meant a 5% increase in employment in the sector, which has employed 1.1-million people globally. GWEC highlights the socioeconomic benefits generated by the global wind industry, in addition to supplying clean power.... →

Photo by Duane Daws
REACHING FOR CLIMATE GOALS The wind industry has witnessed record growth in recent years

100 MW power purchase agreement signed in Nairobi

28th October 2016 In June energy company Kipeto Energy’s (KEL’s) Kipeto wind power project came one step closer to delivering additional clean energy to the people of Kenya following an announcement that it has formally signed a 20-year purchase power agreement with Kenyan power utility Kenya Power. This... →

ELECTRICITY CONNECTION DOUBLES
The Kipeto project will be a key contributor to the Kenyan government’s initiative to provide 70% of households with electricity by 2017

Photo by Bloomberg
ELECTRICITY CONNECTION DOUBLES The Kipeto project will be a key contributor to the Kenyan government’s initiative to provide 70% of households with electricity by 2017

Windaba exhibitors showcase energy portfolio

By: Kimberley Smuts 28th October 2016 Global providers of wind energy services to wind farm developers, owners, investors and others, UL-Dewi South Africa, which is part of US-based Underwriters Laboratories (UL), will exhibit at this year’s Windaba. Having participated in the Windaba for the past two years, the company points out... →

Wind energy investments increase future renewable energy plans

By: Kimberley Smuts 28th October 2016 Although the Department of Energy (DoE) has initiated the highly successful Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in South Africa, which has led to the rapid expansion of renewable energy, both wind and solar, integrated professional and technical services... →

S Africa shifts towards 100% renewable energy

By: Kimberley Smuts 28th October 2016 This year’s Windaba conference and exhibition, which will take place during Wind Energy Week, aims to discuss ways in which South Africa could work towards achieving 30 000 MW of renewable energy by 2050. The conference – themed Towards 100% Renewables – will be held at the Cape Town Convention... →

100% RENEWABLES This years theme has been informed by developments in the renewable energy industry

Further potential for wind energy

By: Kimberley Smuts 28th October 2016 Global professional services firm WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Africa highlights that there is great potential for wind energy as a suitable energy source for South Africa. The company notes that the first wind farms are already on the grid and contribute to South Africa’s energy supply. Three... →

SUITABLE ENERGY SOURCE Wind energy is a cleaner fuel source as wind turbines do not produce atmospheric emissions

Engineering consultancy introduces integrated earthing for wind energy facilities

27th November 2015 Engineering consulting firm Hatch Goba has introduced a new approach to integrated earthing for wind energy facilities, using insulated cables to connect the individual wind turbine groundmats to the substation groundmat, taking the equivalent circuit of the entire wind energy facility (WEF) into... →

Photo by Bloomberg
INTEGRATED EARTHING Hatch Goba has researched new groundmat designs for grid integration at wind energy facilities

Renewables specialist spearheads Kenyan wind power project

27th November 2015 Engineering company WorleyParsons is one-third of the way into its 32-month contract for the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project, in Kenya, for which it was tasked to deliver project management services in 2014. The project aims to supply 360 MW of reliable, low-cost wind-turbine generator... →

UHURU KENYATTA Kenya's president unveils a commemorative plaque at Lake Turkana Wind Power groundbreaking ceremony

Wind farms stimulate socioeconomic development in WC

27th November 2015 Impoverished communities near rural Vredenburg, 130 km north of Cape Town, are starting to reap the benefits from the West Coast One wind project, which became fully-operational in June, and is operated by a consortium comprising financial services provider Investec, electric utility company... →

WEST COAST ONE The 94 MW wind farm will counteract more than 5 billion tons of carbon emiision

Battery-powered bolting system designed for turbine maintenance

27th November 2015 While there are battery-powered bolting solutions for wind turbine maintenance, the general consensus among wind energy industry stakeholders is that these solutions lack battery longevity and often succumb to overheating and bending, says bolting systems manufacturer Hytorc COO Jason Junkers.... →

LITHIUM GUN The battery-powered bolting gun is ideal for wind turbine maintenance

NC wind project’s turbine foundations among the world’s greenest

27th November 2015 The Northern Cape’s Loeriesfontein wind farm has announced that its wind turbine foundations comprise very low quantities of Portland cement in the concrete formulation, resulting in what is believed to be one of the world’s lowest carbon footprints for any wind farm foundation, according to... →

WIND TURBINE FOUNDATION The Loeriesfontein wind farm is expecte to be completed by 2017

Western Cape wind farm achieved full operational capacity - supplying the national grid

27th November 2015 State-owned power utility Eskom’s Sere wind farm, near Vredendal, in the Western Cape, achieved full commercial operational capacity of a 100 MW on March 31. “Sere is Eskom’s first large-scale renewable energy project and forms part of our commitment to renewable energy and reducing our carbon... →

SERE WIND FARM The Western Cape wind farm is capable of producing enough electricity to supply 124 000 homes

Wind farm transaction 'a big deal' for local renewables investment

27th November 2015 Fund management firm Gaia Infrastructure Partners has concluded a landmark equity transaction in the Dorper wind farm project, a preferred bidder under Round 1 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) run by the Department of Energy (DoE). Gaia believes... →

Regular inspections, monitoring a must to improve turbine efficiency

By: Nadine James 27th November 2015 Systematic independent technical inspections and independent real-time, around-the-clock condition monitoring of wind turbines, which are rarely done in South Africa, will improve their operational efficiency, maintenance and life span, advocates Cape Town-based renewable-energy consultant... →

SMOOTH OPERATION Independent inspections ensure that wind turbines operate efficiently

Engineering multinational provides 157 wind turbines for SA wind farms

27th November 2015 Electrical engineering and electronics company Siemens will, by 2017, have supplied a total of 157 wind turbines to wind energy projects in South Africa, following a 2014 contract that committed Siemens to supplying wind turbines to a consortium led by wind and solar utility Mainstream Renewable... →

EN-ROUTE TO JEFFREYS BAY Siemens successfully supplied and installed turbines at the Jefferys Bay Wind farmin the Eastern Cape

Design flaws in wind turbine foundations may prove costly, says engineering firm

27th November 2015 While wind turbines are standard products that are designed, verified by prototype testing and independently certified, their foundations are designed on a project-by-project basis to suit site-specific ground conditions. This, according to engineering consulting firm Arup, makes wind turbine... →

SA to double electricity generated through wind farms

By: Bruce Montiea 28th November 2014 South Africa is creating the capacity to generate close to 2 GW of electricity from wind farms and, “within the next five years, this will more than double”, says Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies director, Professor Wikus van Niekerk. “South Africa was... →

GENERATING ELECTRICITY The Jeffreys Bay wind farm started operating this year

Wind energy projects help restore ecosystem

By: Bruce Montiea 28th November 2014 South Africa needs to pursue projects that use wind for renewable- energy generation, as this green source of energy mitigates the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) while restoring and improving the ecosystem, says carbon advisory firm Promethium Carbon director Harmke Immink. The benefits that... →

Photo by Bloomberg
GREEN ENERGY Projects that use wind to generate renewable energy are essential

SA wind energy industry thriving

By: Bruce Montiea 28th November 2014 The South African wind energy industry has had a few hiccups since the beginning of the independent power producer (IPP) procurement programme, however on the whole the industry has excelled, says technical consultancy 3E Renewable Energy. “Essentially initiated and supported by the Department of... →

NICOLA CENCELLI The wind industry market has progressed into a thriving industry that is showing clear signs of sustainability

Company supplies generators to wind farm

By: Bruce Montiea 28th November 2014 In its endeavour to support the country’s drive to propel the use of wind farms as sources of generating green renewable energy, temporary power and temperature-control solutions supplier Aggreko supplied nine 60 kVA generators to the precommissioning of the wind turbines at the Jeffrey’s Bay... →

WIND POWER Aggreko provides support services across the full life-cycle of both on- and offshore wind farms

R300m production factory opened

28th November 2014 Renewable energy industrial and logistics processes company GRI Renewable Industries in November opened a new R300-million wind-turbine tower production factory in Atlantis, Cape Town. “With South Africa currently in the grip of debilitating rolling black-outs and load shedding owing to... →

PRODUCTION CAPACITY The new wind-turbine tower production factory is capable of producing 150 wind towers a year

Turbine for low wind speed areas launched

28th November 2014 To help with meeting the need to increase the number of wind farms in South Africa, including in areas with moderate to low wind speeds, global engineering company Siemens in November launched its new wind turbine at wind energy exhibition event Windaba, held in Cape Town. “With the Model... →

ROTATING The SWT-3.3-130 delivers 3.3 MW and extracts maximum energy yield from low to moderate wind velocities

Company completes transportation and erection of wind turbines

By: Bruce Montiea 28th November 2014 International heavy-lift and plant relocation specialist engineering firm Vanguard provided the transportation and erection services for nine 3 MW Sinovel wind turbines for the Van Stadens wind farm project, in the Eastern Cape, says Vanguard MD Bryan Hodgkinson. The project forms part of the... →

ON THE MOVE The towers for the turbines necessitate their transportation in three or four segments

Bolting system increases windmill construction speed

By: Bruce Montiea 28th November 2014 Precision and hydraulic special service equipment manufacturer Power Team says its SPX bolting system, which it supplies to contracting companies in the South African wind energy sector, enables these companies to significantly increase windmill erection speed, reduce construction costs and... →

POWER EQUIPMENT The SPX bolting system ensures accurate torque and tension levels on every bolt

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