Enel Green Power secures energy supply contracts for South African wind power projects

Enel Green Power (EGP) has won energy supply contracts for three wind projects in South Africa totalling 425MW.

The Italian renewable developer has secured the right to enter into power supply contracts with the South African utility Eskom in an open bid process.

The proposed projects – 142MW Oyster Bay, 141MW Nxuba and 142MW Karusa – will be developed in the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces.

Commissioning of the Oyster Bay and Nxuba projects are likely to be done by 2017, following which, in 2018 the Karusa wind farm has been scheduled to be operational.

EGP expects to invest around €500m for setting up the three wind projects, it said.

The renewable power plants will be connected with the firm’s operational 10MW solar photovoltaic facility in Upington (Northern Cape).

The projects are expected to deliver around 1,560GWh of wind power every year to meet the rising power demands in South Africa.

While these projects has been won in the fourth phase of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) tender in the country, EGP had also secured 513MW power projects in the REIPPPP third phase.