South Africa
102 Rivonia Road Tower 2 EY Building, Johannesburg
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The Plant
The Karusa Wind Farm
In 2022, we connected the 147 MW Karusa wind farm to the electricity grid. The plant is located in the Karoo Hoogland District, Northern Cape province. It can generate more than 500 GWh annually, potentially avoiding the emission of approximately 500,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Karusa features Vestas V136-4.2MW wind turbines, the largest on the African continent to date.
Tecnology
Wind power
Status
In operation
Operational Capacity
147 MW
Energy production
500 GWh
CO₂ emissions avoided
500,000 metric tons per year
Energy demand
74,269 households each year
Timeline
Milestone
Impact on local communities
As part of a Creating Shared Value initiative, we assisted underserved communities in close proximity to the wind farm. One initiative involved the supply of 15 interactive smartboards and 15 laptops to the Acacia Primary School in Laingsburg, in an educational support programme.
During the nationwide lockdown, which began in March 2020, we donated food relief parcels to approximately 200 families in vulnerable communities, in collaboration with the Laingsburg Local Municipality.
We are currently looking to empower local SMMEs through the Enterprise Development Support programme. This could take the form of funding, income-generating assets (equipment), skills development and market linkages, among others.
Other socio-economic development projects focusing on education, healthcare, social welfare and skills development will be implemented, now that the project is operational.
Furthermore, community needs assessments will be conducted in order to identify the most pressing needs and pinpoint any skills gaps within the beneficiary communities. The overall investment in these initiatives is estimated to be €800,000 per annum.
Partnerships
The wind farm was awarded to us in 2016 as part of round four of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). It is supported by a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with the South African energy utility provider, Eskom.