The Rietkloof and Brandvalley wind farms – the first projects under Bid Window 5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer (IPP) Procurement Programme – have reached commercial operation.
Both projects were awarded preferred bidder status in October 2021 and reached financial close in February 2023.
Each wind farm has 32 Vestas V150 4,5 MW turbines delivering a total installed capacity of 288 MW (144 MW per site). Located near the border of the Western and Northern Cape provinces, the projects are expected to generate 585 GWh (Rietkloof) and 595 GWh (Brandvalley) of energy annually. Combined, this is sufficient to meet the electricity needs of roughly 362 000 households and avoid an estimated 1,24 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions per year, says IPP Red Rocket South Africa.
Red Rocket coordinated the construction of both projects with local contractors, Power Construction and Besamandla, responsible for balance-of-plant and grid connection works. Vestas supplied the wind turbines.
“In what has widely become known as a challenging and extremely competitive bid window round, being awarded preferred bidder status for these projects, reaching financial close, navigating construction in tough conditions and ultimately bringing it all to light is an achievement we’re incredibly proud of,” said Red Rocket South Africa’s Chief Operating Officer Luca Silva.
The Rietkloof wind farm consortium includes Red Rocket South Africa as lead developer together with the IDEAS Fund (managed by African Infrastructure Investment Managers), Jade-Sky Energy and the Red Rocket Opportunity Trust.
Other Bid Window 5 projects, still under construction, include EDF Renewables’ Phezukomoya and San Kraal wind farms, Scatec’s Kenhardt 1-3 hybrid solar and battery projects, and Mainstream Renewable Power’s Hudson, Slangkop and Witteberg wind farms.
