Independent power producer, EDF Renewables, has kickstarted the construction of its 140 MW Coleskop wind farm facility, located in the Umsombomvu municipality on the border of the country’s Eastern and Northern Cape provinces.
The start of construction follows a final investment decision (FID) made on January 18. According to the FID arrangement, the project will be funded by a R3.5 billion loan provided by Standard Bank, ABSA, Investec and Momentum Metropolitan.
The facility comprises 26 Goldwind wind turbines which will be installed by South African construction firm, WBHO.
Coleskop represents one of three projects with a total capacity of 420 MW awarded to EDF Renewables and its partners – namely, H1 Holdings and Gibb-Crede – in the fifth bid window of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement program in October 2021.
The other two projects being developed by EDF Renewables include the 140 MW Phezukomoya and San Kraal wind farms.
According to Tristan de Drouas, CEO, EDF Renewables, project completion is targeted for Q1 of 2025, with the wind farm expected to supply the country’s national grid. Together with the Phezukomoya and San Kraal projects, Coleskop will power 420,000 consumers as part of a 20-year power purchase agreement signed with state utility, Eskom.
