EDF Energies Nouvelles has commissioned the 61.5-megawatts Grassridge wind farm in South Africa, developed by its subsidiary InnoWind.
Located in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape province, the wind farm consists of 20 Vestas V112 wind turbines, each with a unit capacity of 3.075 MW. The Grassridge wind farm is the first of the three projects awarded to EDF Energies Nouvelles in 2012 under the competitive tender for renewable energies projects held by the South African government.
The electricity generated at the Grassridge facility is bought by the grid operator under a 20-year power purchase agreement. In line with the tender specifications, a portion of the revenue from the sale of electricity is to be used to promote enterprise and the local economy. The Grassridge wind farm is thus 40%-owned by local partners and 60%-owned by InnoWind, a 80%-held subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles.