Soutrivier North WEF

WKN-Windcurrent SA (Pty) Ltd. plans to develop, construct and operate a Wind Energy Facility (WEF) approximately 30km southwest of Victoria West in the Northern Cape Province. The project site is situated in the Ubuntu Local Municipality (LM) which forms part of the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality (DM).

The proposed Soutrivier North Wind Energy Facility (WEF) will consist of up to 31 turbines, with a total facility output of up to 270MW. The WEF will also include a powerline and switching station in order to connect the WEF to the existing Eskom Substation (this will be applied for in a separate environmental application). The WEF will also include a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), temporary and permanent laydown areas, an IPP Substation (SS), a Concrete Tower Manufacturing Facility (CTMF), access roads and a construction compound (CC) area. The construction footprint of the proposed WEF will be up to 122ha (inclusive of roads), rehabilitated to an operational footprint of up to 75ha (inclusive of roads).

The summary, the proposed Soutrivier North WEF will include:

Up to 31 turbines with a maximum nominal power output of up to 270MW;
The proposed WEF will include turbines with a hub height of up to 200m, a rotor diameter of up to 240m, blade length of up to 120m, and a total tip height of up to 320m;
Permanent laydown areas adjacent to each wind turbine (up to 3 000 m²);
Temporary laydown areas adjacent to each wind turbine (up to 3 000 m²);
Foundations (up to 900 m²) for each wind turbine;
IPP Substation (SS) of up to 3ha (inclusive of a 33/132kV SS, offices and parking and a permanent SS laydown area);
Temporary laydown area, CTMF and CC of up to 10ha;
BESS of up to 10ha (temporary laydown area, CTMF and CC area will be converted to the BESS facility post-construction phase);
Medium voltage cabling between turbines and the switching stations, to be laid underground where technically feasible; and
Internal access roads of up 31km constructed at up to 14m wide (construction phase), rehabilitated to 8m wide (operational phase). Existing roads will be used as far as possible. However, where required, internal access roads will be constructed between the turbines