2020 promises to be an exciting year for Perdekraal East Wind Farm as it heads into its final six months of construction. The last of the 480 wind turbine components will reach the wind farm’s construction site early February 2020 and all 48 turbines are expected to be installed by early April 2020.
As South Africa’s energy sector transitions from high dependency on coal for electricity production to clean energy sources such as wind and solar PV, there are several growth opportunities that can be realised in the economy. Over the next 10 years the country will see massive decommissioning of old coal fired power plants as they reach the end of their life. This opens up a capacity gap of more than 12 GW that will need to be replaced by 2030 in order to meet the country’s energy demand. READ MORE
As wind technology grows in scale and productivity, researchers continue to look for ways to boost the energy captured while driving down costs.
In a new study, Increasing Wind Turbine Tower Heights: Opportunities and Challenges PDF, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers examine opportunities for increasing the height of wind turbine hubs—where the turbine drivetrain and rotors attach—and the conditions and locations where taller towers would have the most impact.READ MORE