Construction of Africa’s largest wind farm gets underway

Covering 6 653ha and hosting 122 massive wind turbines, the Khobab and Loeriesfontein Wind Farms in the Northern Cape will be the single largest expanse of wind turbines on the African continent when fully operational.

Construction of Africa’s largest wind farm gets underway
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At full wind-to-electricity production, scheduled for the latter half of 2017, the wind farms will be capable of a combined output of 280 megawatts of electricity. This is enough to power the equivalent of 240 000 average households for a year.

More than 1 000 road transport loads will be required over the next 16 months to deliver all of the turbine components for the wind farms.

“It is by far the most expansive transportation programme that the industry has seen to date. The operation will cover 2,5 million kilometres and move an astounding 42 000t of wind turbine components,” said Kevin Foster, project manager of the Khobab Wind Farm.

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A joint statement issued by the Khobab and Loeriesfontein Wind Farms said that their combined operations would prevent an estimated 22 million tons of carbon emissions from being released into the atmosphere over the wind farms’ lifespan.

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