The full 330 MW Impofu Wind Farm cluster, located in the Kouga and Nelson Mandela Bay municipalities of the Eastern Cape, has entered into commercial operation.
The cluster comprises three 110 MW wind farms – Impofu North, Impofu East and Impofu West – and project sponsor Enel Green Power RSA reports that all three facilities have achieved commercial operation, with Impofu West having been the last to become operational in June.
The cluster is underpinned by three long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Sasol and Air Liquide, as well as a wheeling framework that facilitates transmission of the electricity using the National Transmission Company South Africa network and which enables a private generator to contract with a private customer.
In this case, the wheeled electricity is contracted to Sasol’s Secunda site in Mpumalanga, where Air Liquide operates the world’s largest oxygen production facility.
Sasol aims to procure 2 000 MW of renewable energy by 2030 to decarbonise its coal-heavy production processes, 500 MW of which is now in operation, with another 700 MW in construction.
