Integrating wind power into South Africa renewables planning

While wind farms may take a long time to get off the ground, their role in the renewables mix is undeniable

Eskom Group Executive: Renewables, Rivoningo Mnisi, explains Eskom’s future plans for wind power, considering the Integrated Resource Plan’s wind energy targets.

While he admits the plans for wind power are exciting, Mnisi reminded that it took a long time to get wind farms off the ground and running. Still the utility sees massive opportunity because South Africa’s profile for wind projects is really good.

Eskom is also looking into how it can repurpose current coal-powered power stations to incorporate wind power as they come to the end of their lifespan.

Wind power needs to spur manufacturing and industrialisation

“We see wind playing a really critical part – most of our clients that we’re engaged around the energy uptake they talk about a split of 60% PV and a 40% of wind just to give it a basic stable supply from the renewable energy.

“So we see wind, coupled with battery and also with a bit of PV playing a major role, but obviously wind leading because of its longer duration as compared to other sources of renewables,” said Mnisi.

He goes into their plans for repowering and repurposing the spaces around current coal-based power stations in Mpumalanga with wind assets as these are decommissioned and how Eskom would like to see a manufacturing value chain restart around wind assets.

Cover photo:  Noupoort Wind Farm was the first wind farm to successfully achieve operations as part of REIPPPP Bid Window 3. The 79MW wind farm was commissioned in 2016 and operates under a 20-year PPA. Source: Mainstream Renewable Power.