Mainstream Renewable Power announced on 11 December that the Loeriesfontein and Khobab wind plants, both 140MW, have begun commercial operations in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The two facilities use 122 Siemens SWT-2.3-108 wind turbines between them, covering an area of 6,653ha. Construction at both plants began in April 2014 after they were selected in the third round of the country’s renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme (REIPPP).
Lekela – a joint venture between private equity firm Actis and Mainstream – holds a 40% stake in the projects, alongside Old Mutual, Thebe Investment Corporation, the Infrastructural, Developmental and Environmental Assets (Ideas) Managed Fund, and a consortium of smaller investors.
At a time when the REIPPP has been under sustained pressure from the government and national utility Eskom, Northern Cape premier Sylvia Lucas said that it “is a priority programme for the province and proves to be a game changer. This is a sector that can assist government to radically transform the economy. To date, over 60% of South Africa’s IPPs have been allocated to the Northern Cape”.
“Worth noting is the fact that through these investments, the province has secured a substantial share of the equity for local communities with benefits materialising over the project life”, she added. “We are therefore pleased for the jobs that have been created and would like to encourage a process where the development and the needs of our people are handled as a parallel process. We are convinced that by working together, we are able to make a further impact on the job creation front”.
