NOUPOORT NEWS - EDF power solutions proudly announces the achievement of the commercial operation date (COD) of the 140MW San Kraal wind farm, which forms part of the 420MW Koruson 1 project cluster, on 11 December.
The San Kraal wind farm, located near Noupoort on the border of the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces, is the first of three 140MW wind farms in the Koruson 1 cluster to reach COD.
The remaining sites, Phezukomoya and Coleskop, are also in the final stages of completion, and the overall project is expected to achieve COD early in 2026.
The Koruson 1 project includes South Africa’s largest self-build Main Transmission Substation (MTS), by an Independent Power Producer (IPP), which was completed and energised on 5 April.
The Koruson 400/132 kV MTS, was designed and constructed to connect 1.5 GW of renewable energy from the adjoining Koruson 1 and Koruson 2 projects to the national grid.
Developed by a consortium led by EDF power solutions, together with local South African BEE partners, H1 Holdings, Gibb-Crede, and a local community trust, the Koruson 1 project was awarded under Round 5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP).
The consortium has entered into a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the designated offtaker.
The 26 San Kraal wind turbines have a nominal capacity of 5,4 MW each and are synchronous turbines, which use a generator where the rotational speed of the rotor is directly synchronised with the frequency of the electricity generated.
These turbines improve plant reliability and provide grid stability. The concrete turbine towers were manufactured at a local factory near Middelburg, which employed 400 workers during the construction period.
The main contractors are Goldwind, which supplied and installed the 26 wind turbines, and the Consortium of Concor and OptiPower (Murray Roberts LTD) which supplied the balance of plant.
Tristan de Drouas, EDF power solutions Southern Africa Vice President commented: “We are gearing up for commercial operation on Koruson 1. The projects assist in achieving the South African Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2025). The plan maps out the future of the country’s electricity mix, with a long term goal of achieving a Net Zero Electricity sector by 2050, including the addition of 34 GW of new wind turbines.”
EDF power solutions is currently constructing 1.5GW of low carbon energy across 12 different sites in the country, which contributes significantly towards this goal – The San Kraal WEF alone will generate 616 GWh per year, which is the equivalent of powering 193, 000 homes.
“The Koruson 1 consortium, demonstrates the power of partnership in driving South Africa’s energy transition. This project not only delivers clean, reliable power to the grid, but also creates meaningful opportunities for local communities and businesses. We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of renewable energy development are shared widely, supporting economic growth and empowerment in the regions where we operate,” said Reyburn Hendricks, CEO of H1 Holdings.
“The successful completion of the San Kraal wind farm is a testament to the dedication and expertise of all the partners involved. Beyond the contribution of the Koruson 1 cluster of projects to South Africa’s economic recovery plan and our climate change goals, we are particularly proud of the project’s contribution to local content and job creation,” said Richard Vries, Chairman of Gibb-Crede.
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