Proposed wind farm

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - A meeting to gauge public opinion about the installation of wind farms in the Graaff-Reinet region, is taking place on Friday evening.

KHI Energy is hosting the public meeting about the proposed renewable energy projects at 17:00 on Friday 5 February, most likely in Graaff-Reinet.

At the time of going to press on Wednesday, the venue of the meeting was yet to be confirmed as it would be determined in line with Covid-19 protocol depending on the number of people who accepted the invitation.

According to KHI Energy representative, Sifiso Shongwe, it is not a statutory requirement to engage stakeholders prior to the official public participation process, but the developer is calling this meeting to address stakeholders and clarify any doubts with regards to the intended renewable energy projects.

If given the green light, the wind farms will be erected in the Dr Beyers Naude Municipal area, but Shongwe says no specific site has been identified as yet.

"We are just touching base with the community. We are calling the meeting as a pro-active measure to understand all possible concerns, to explain what is being planned and to enable an inclusive process right from the start."

The Advertiser was informed that all the farmers in the Camdeboo Conservatory were invited to attend the meeting, raising concern that the plan is to establish the proposed wind farm in this ecologically sensitive area. According to a 1017 report by Birdlife SA on the effect of wind farms on birds, the mean fatality rate at wind farms was 4,1 birds per turbine per year.

The report states that the preliminary data appear to confirm that raptors, including threatened species such as the Martial Eagle, are vulnerable to collisions. "Extra care should therefore be taken when considering developing a wind farm within the habitat of these species," it concludes.

People who wish to attend the meeting must RSVP to admin@khulisana.com.

An example of a small scale, off-grid wind turbine for stand-alone applications such as irrigation.

Wind potential study
A wind power potential study of six sites in the western parts of the Eastern Cape - one of the sites being Graaff-Reinet - was carried out at University of Fort Hare between January 2009 and December 2013. Over a period of five years the hourly average wind speeds were obtained from the South African Weather Service (SAWS).

The study concluded that based on the American Wind Energy Association's classification, Graaff-Reinet's wind power fell in class 1, deeming the area unsuitable for the installation of large turbines for grid connection.

The authors therefore recommended the installation of small scale, off-grid wind turbines in the Graaff-Reinet area for stand-alone applications such as supplying power to individual houses and irrigation.

The study can be found online at www.researchgate.net.

Noupoort Wind Farm
Situated 10km east of Noupoort, the Noupoort Wind Farm, completed in 2016, comprises 35 wind turbines that are 99m high, spanning 7 500 hectares.

According to www.noupoortwind.co.za, the site was chosen because of its excellent wind resource, its proximity to national roads for wind turbine transportation, the favourable construction conditions, municipality and local stakeholder support and the straightforward electrical connection into the Eskom grid.

When operating at full capacity, the 80MW wind farm generates around 304 800MWh of clean renewable energy per year - enough to power up almost 92 000 homes. Before construction, environmental impact studies showed the wind farm would have little environmental impact.

Funds for locals
Several small and medium sized businesses, non-profit companies and a non-profit organisation in Noupoort have recently been selected to receive business funding as part of Noupoort Wind Farm's socio-economic and enterprise development programme.

Each grantee will also receive mandatory financial management training.

Sandisiwe Mntonintshi, Economic Development Manager of Noupoort Wind Farm, says research shows that mobilising communities to gain control over their lives is most effective. Hence, the wind farm views its purpose as supportive.

"This community development programme focuses on initiatives that are wanted and needed in the community, which will ultimately increase the impact and drive change exponentially."

Recipients of Noupoort Wind Farm funding show their joy.