Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will supply two onshore wind farms in South Africa with 109 turbines with a combined capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), the company announced Wednesday.
The SWT-2.3-108 turbines will each feature a rated capacity of 2.3 MW and a rotor with a diameter of 108 meters, the company's press statement read.
The 140-MW Kangnas Wind Farm project is located near Springbok in the Northern Cape, while the other 110-MW Perdekraal East Wind Farm is situated 80 km northeast of Ceres in the Western Cape.
'A 10-year full service agreement will secure the performance of the wind farms, which will together supply enough clean electricity for approximately 214,000 South African homes,' the company said.
Siemens Gamesa will start the supply of the wind turbines in early 2019 while the wind farms are planned for completion in 2020.
Both farms are owned by a consortium led by Mainstream Renewable Power, an independent global developer of renewable energy based in Dublin, Ireland.
The Department of Energy in South Africa awarded the consortium the contracts for the wind farms as part of the country's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Program, according to the statement.
The contracts were signed between April and June.
Janek Winand, managing director at Siemens Gamesa South Africa, called the deal 'the next big milestone' for Siemens Gamesa in South Africa.
'With the addition of these two wind farms, Siemens Gamesa will have installed more than 850 MW of wind capacity in the country,' Winand said.
Present in South Africa since 2014, the accumulated base installed by Siemens Gamesa accounts today for 324 MW of rated capacity, the statement said. The company has also two wind projects totaling 280 MW under construction.
Siemens Gamesa says it is the market leader in Africa, with over 15 years of experience and more than 2,220 MW of installed base in countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Mauritius Islands, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia.
'Additionally, the establishment of the Siemens Gamesa blade factory in Tangier, Morocco at the end of 2017 represents a major commitment to the sustainable future of the entire region, being the first blade plant of a wind turbine manufacturer in Africa and the Middle East,' it said.
The plant is ready to deliver blades to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr