• This state of the art equipment is key to delivering clean energy to 215,000 homes.
• The project, which is located in the southern region of Los Lagos, is set to begin operations in December 2018.

Aurora wind farm, developed by Mainstream Renewable Power and owned by Aela Energia will use a 170 MVA (mega volt-amperes) transformer that was manufactured by ABB.  The Aurora wind farm will supply clean energy to around 215,000 homes and this state of the art technology plays a key role in the wind farm’s energy production

The project’s power transformer was transported via Route 5 from the port of Chincui de Oxxean in Puerto Montt to the project site in the commune of Llanquihue, some 45 kilometres outside this port city.

“This 109-tonne transformer is designed to step-up the voltage from 33kV to 220kV, which is the voltage required to connect to the 220kV Rahue-Puerto Montt trunk transmission line that runs across the project site,” explains Carlos Moranchel, the Aurora Project Manager. This line is owned by Transelec, a Chilean transmission line company.

The energy generated by the wind farm will be transported, via an underground collector system, to the step-up substation before later being transformed and injected into the National Electricity System (SEN).

The project is located on 3,507 hectares of land situated around 15 kilometres from Llanquihue city, in the region of Los Lagos. The wind farm will have a total of 43 wind turbines, each with an individual capacity of 3MW, amounting to a maximum capacity of 129 MW.

The Aurora wind farm is due to begin operating in December of 2018, providing clean and efficient energy that will help to create a more diversified, sustainable energy mix for Chile.

Sarco wind farm has announced it has reached another successful milestone that has seen the completion of the lifting of the first of its 50 wind turbines.  The wind farm is located approximately 70 km to the southeast of the city of Vallenar in the Atacama Region in northern Chile.

The turbines that will be used for this project, which was developed and is being built by Mainstream Renewable Power and which is owned by Aela Energía have an individual capacity of 3.4 MW and are being supplied by SENVION.

The wind turbines, which are 149m in height, can take between 1 to 3 days to lift. This is a highly complex process that must be carried out in favourable weather conditions. The components were transported over a distance of 160km from the Port of Las Losas in the city of Huasco to the project site in the commune of Freirina.

Mainstream Renewable Power’s Project Manager for Sarco Alejandro Espinoza says, “The lifting of the first turbine marks a significant milestone for the wind farm. Transporting, unloading and installing the turbines presents a significant challenge given the weight and dimensions of the different components that make up the wind turbine.”

Aela Energía, the joint venture company owned 60% by private equity investor Actis and 40% by Mainstream was awarded contracts to build and operate the Sarco wind project, with a generation capacity of 170 megawatts which will supply regulated customers in Chile’s SIC electricity system.  The company was awarded the 20 year contracts by the National Energy Commission (NCE) under a highly competitive bidding process which saw 31 companies compete for 1,200 gigawatt hours of energy.

Wednesday 27th of July marks a key milestone in the construction of the Sarco Wind Farm Project in northern Chile with the arrival of the project’s power transformer. The Sarco wind farm, which was developed by Mainstream Renewable Power and is owned by Aela Energy, is located in the region of Atacama in northern Chile.
The 220 MVA power transformer, which was manufactured by ABB Thailand, began the 230 km journey from the Port of Coquimbo to the project site in the commune of Freirina early this week and arrived on site on the morning of 27th of June. This component is one of the largest and most important elements that will make up the 170 MW wind farm.

“The transformer weighs 116 tonnes and is designed to step up the voltage from 33 kV to 220 kV, which is the voltage required to connect to Transelec’s Maitencillo Substation. In order to connect to the Substation the energy generated by the wind farm must be transported along a 70km Transmission Line,” explains Rodrigo Hernández, Mainstream Renewable Power’s Contract Manager. The transmission line runs underground between the wind farm and the substation, where the power is stepped-up and then injected into the National Electric System (SEN).

The Sarco Wind Farm Project is located in the commune of Freirina, some 70 km to the south west of the city of Vallenar in the Region of Atacama. When completed the wind farm will have a total of 50 wind turbines, each with an individual capacity of
3.4 MW, with a maximum total capacity of 170 MW, which is enough energy to supply over 260,000 homes.

The Aurora wind farm has successfully completed the installation of the first of its 43 wind turbines.

Today marks an important milestone for the Aurora Wind Farm in southern Chile with the successful lifting of the first of its 43 wind turbines. The project represents a total investment of US$210 million and is located approximately 15 km from Llanquihue in the Los Lagos region in southern Chile.

The project, which was developed by Mainstream and is owned by Aela Energia, will be made up of 43 of Senvion’s 3MW turbines.  The turbines are 180 metres high and consist of a 57 tonne nacelle and a rotor of 122 meters in diameter. Each tower is 119 meters in height and the blades are 61 meters in length. The blades are made of reinforced fibreglass, which allows for optimum energy production. As each blade weighs a total of 14 tonnes, it can take between 1 and 3 days to lift each turbine. This procedure can only be carried out in favourable climatic conditions.

Fabiano Fortes, Mainstream Renewable Power’s Construction Manager in Chile says, “Lifting the first turbine marks the beginning of a significant milestone for the wind farm. Given the dimensions and weight of each of the components that make up the wind turbines, transporting, unloading and assembling the turbines is a considerable challenge for us.”

When the project is fully operational it will have a maximum capacity of 129 MW and will supply clean energy to around 195,000 homes.

Perdekraal East Wind Farm, situated within the Witzenberg Local Municipality, is preparing the way to begin major construction activity on the Western Cape’s largest bid window wind farm.

Since achieving financial close in June this year, the construction team has been working on establishing on-site infrastructure, clearing and grubbing of roads and turbine foundations and preparing to construct 42km’s of road on site.

“These are early days in the project, but we are gearing up and expect to have excavated four foundations by the end of this month,” explains Glenn Hobson, Construction Project Manager.  He describes the terrain as gently sloping Karoo-type bushveld, with underlying rocky outcrops.

This is Hobson’s first opportunity to manage the construction of a wind farm and what he sees as an ideal chance to further advance the “green energy” revolution whilst contributing to the development of local communities.

“South Africa’s renewables story is truly inspirational. We are transitioning towards a renewable future, which facilitates multiple opportunities for growth and development, within areas and communities that for decades have lacked infrastructure, investment and sustainable employment opportunities. It’s also a chance to work towards solving one of the most pressing challenges of our time; reducing the use of fossil fuels and the associated reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Hobson.

Once complete, the 110MW Perdekraal Wind Farm, which spans 3 055 hectares, will comprise forty-eight, 115m-high wind turbines. When operating at full capacity, it will generate around 183 000 MWh of clean renewable energy per year and is expected to supply electricity to power up to 95 000 South African homes.

Perdekraal East Wind Farm will eliminate approximately 410 000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year compared to traditional fossil fuel power plants. In addition to zero carbon emissions and reduced use of fossil fuels, the country will benefit from minimal water consumption during the generation process and significant social and enterprise development programmes.

The 140MW Kangnas Wind Farm, one of the REI4P’s giant Bid Window 4 projects, is gearing up for construction, having already cleared 95% of its site roads, totalling over 52km’s.

Situated in the North West corner of South Africa, the terrain is typical of the Springbok Flats Karoo Basin, with a rocky underlay prevalent in over 80% of foundation hardstands. The construction team, led by Manie Kotzé, has already managed to clear thirty-three hardstands as well as excavating two turbine foundations. “Clearing and grubbing is an essential part of all construction development, paving the way for us to begin excavating the turbine foundations,” explained Kotzé, Construction Project Manager for Kangnas Wind Farm.

Even though it’s still early days in the construction process, considering that financial closure was achieved just three months ago, the construction team has also commenced with controlled blasting, to a depth of 2,5metres, on five hardstands and is forging ahead to begin building the turbine foundations.

“We hope to have excavated twenty-one foundations by the end of September and then can justly say that construction is truly underway,” added Kotzé, who describes the technology behind generating wind power efficiently and effectively as fascinating.

Kangnas Wind Farm is situated in the Nama Khoi Municipal area, in the Northern Cape.  This Province is home to more than half the country’s 112 independent power producers (IPP), with more than 19 projects already connected to the grid with a capacity of 900MW.  The Northern Cape is the recipient of the majority of IPP’s from the latest bid window, green-lighted in April this year, which will bring 15 new wind, solar PV and CSP projects to the Province

Once operational, Kangnas Wind Farm will deliver 140MW’s of clean renewable power from its sixty-one, 115m-high, wind turbines. It will have the capacity to generate around 563 500 MWh of clean renewable energy per year and is expected to supply electricity to power up to 120 000 South African homes.

Kangnas Wind Farm is expected to eliminate approximately 550,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year when compared to traditional fossil fuel power plants. In addition to zero carbon emissions and reduced use of fossil fuels, the country will benefit from almost zero water consumption that is required during the generation process.

Wind energy does not require water for its generation, however, it does need a moderate amount during the construction phase.  Despite it being a relatively negligible amount, the conservation of this rare resource, especially as Kangnas Wind Farm is situated within Namaqualand, is managed by the onsite Environmental Officer.

Due to the importance of water, its conservation and sustainability is Marnu Gouws’s number one priority, “In my opinion, water is one of the most important factors currently on the Kangnas Wind Farm project site, as it’s the life force of the construction processes,” explains Marnu Gouws, Environmental Officer at Kangnas Wind Farm.

Weekly water-usage monitoring is done to ensure that the project remains within the licence stipulations, as provided by the Department of Water and Sanitation. Furthermore, the static water level of the borehole is measured weekly to make sure that the borehole water level isn’t over utilized. Should the level drop, water extraction is halted immediately.

In addition to this, PH and Electric Conductivity tests are done to determine the water quality.  Findings are reported to the Department of Water and Sanitation quarterly, as well as providing water samples to the laboratories, bi-annually.

In addition to managing the conservation of water on site, Marnu is also one of the wind farm’s certified snake handlers.  Together with Hennie Taljaardt, his role is to safely catch and relocate snakes that pose a threat to the construction team.

Individuals working on site are taught to photograph the snake if they are bitten. However, that is not always possible. Thus if someone is bitten, he is to be immediately transported to the closest hospital where he will be monitored by a heath care professional.

Working closely with the local Springbok Hospital, the wind farm has ensured that there is sufficient stock of a generic snake anti-venom, polyvalent, on hand, despite almost 80% of snake bites not requiring anti-venom.

So far, Marnu has relocate a number of Horned Adders to a safe area, with similar vegetation, providing safety for both the snake and construction workers. “The management of all aspects of the environment is a normal part of construction of a wind farm, hence fauna and flora should be protected at all times, so I see the management of snakes as part and parcel of my job”.

Sarco wind farm, located in Freirina in northern Chile has announced that all 50 of its turbines have been successfully installed on site. The project is developed and built by Mainstream Renewable Power and is owned by Aela Energía.
The wind turbines for the Sarco project have an individual capacity of 3.4 MW, which together amounts to a total installed capacity of 170MW. German turbine providers, Senvion, supplied and installed the turbines, whose metal towers are 93 metres in height and reach 149 metres including blade length.

“The delivery and installation process, which began in the Port of Las Losas in Huasco, took a total of 8 months to complete. During the transportation process, 500 components were carried across 160 km of motorways and smaller roads before they arrived at the project site to be assembled. The assembly of these components can only be carried out in favourable weather conditions,” explains Diego Cornejo, Mainstream’s Technical Director.

A 73 km transmission line, with a 220kV circuit, is also being built as part of the project, which will transport the energy produced from the wind farm to the Maitencillo substation, from where the energy will be injected into the National Electrical System (SEN).

A total of US$240 million has been invested in this project, which, when completed, will supply clean and renewable energy to approximately 260 thousand homes.

Two of the country’s largest Bid Window 4 projects, 140 MW Kangnas Wind Farm (Northern Cape) and 110 MW Perdekraal East Wind Farm (Western Cape) have announced the successful completion of the 28-day strength test of their first foundations, with a significant improvement in the mix design and a massive CO2 saving.

Perdekraal East Wind Farm poured the first of its foundations on 22 November 2018, with Kangnas Wind Farm completing the same milestone the following day. This was followed by a 28-day strength test to ensure that the foundations achieved the required design strengths.

Following the trend that started with the Bid Window 3 projects, Kangnas and Perdekraal East Wind Farm’s foundations are designed using a 70% replacement of cement. This signals a significant improvement in the concrete mix design for these turbine foundations.

“We have achieved a significant improvement in the concrete mix design for these turbine foundations, with the carbon footprint of the concrete mix design being reduced by 32.5% in CO2 from our round 3 projects. For a project the size of Perdekraal East Wind Farm, it means a saving of approximately 1900 tonnes of CO2, in relation to the previous concrete mix design,” explained Christo Loots, Construction Programme Manager for the Perdekraal East and Kangnas Wind Farms.

A carbon footprint is defined by the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). “We are very pleased with the achieved reduction in our carbon footprint and value Concor’s progressive and meticulous approach to the concrete works,” added Loots.

Kangnas Wind Farm’s construction team is led by Manie Kotzé who has confirmed that 12 foundations are already complete and he expects that all 61 foundations will be in place by early July this year. To achieve this milestone on time the project relies largely on its workforce, which comprises a whopping 77% of locals from the beneficiary community of Springbok.

“Local employment is an important aspect of our construction programme, alongside skills training,” explained Kotzé, Construction Project Manager for Kangnas Wind Farm.

Similarly, Perdekraal East Wind Farm is currently providing local employment to community members of Ceres, Nduli, Bella Vista and Prince Alfred Hamlet. “Almost 70% of the workforce responsible for building the foundations come from these beneficiary communities,” said Glenn Hobson, Construction Project Manager for Perdekraal Wind Farm, who has confirmed that 8 of the 48 foundations are already complete.

Background
Kangnas Wind Farm is situated in the Nama Khoi Municipal area, in the Northern Cape. It will have the capacity to generate around 563.5 GWh/yr of clean renewable energy, enough to supply electricity to power up to 120 000 South African homes.

Kangnas Wind Farm is expected to eliminate approximately 550,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year when compared to traditional fossil fuel power plants.

Perdekraal East Wind Farm, in the Western Cape, spans 3 055 hectares and will generate around 368.8 GWh/yr and is expected to supply electricity to power up to 95 000 South African homes. This wind farm will eliminate approximately 410 000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year compared to traditional fossil fuel power plants.
In addition to zero carbon emissions and reduced use of fossil fuels, the country will benefit from almost zero water consumption that is required during the generation process of both Kangnas Wind Farm and Perdekraal East Wind Farm.

• The Sarco Wind Farm, which was developed by Mainstream Renewable Power and is located in the Atacama region of northern Chile will be injecting 170 MW into the National Electric System (SEN) in the coming months.  

The Sarco Wind Farm, which was developed and built by Mainstream and is owned by Aela Energía has completed the construction of its 71 km transmission line. This line is composed of 198 towers that support the 220-kV line that will carry energy from the wind farm to the Maitencillo substation where it will be later injected into the National Electric System (SEN).

Fabiano Fortes, Construction Manager of Mainstream Chile, highlights the importance of this milestone for the project: “We are delighted to have reached this important milestone, while upholding the highest safety and environmental standards. This was made possible thanks to solid team work and exceptional coordination with the numerous contractors that were involved in this process. The company is very proud of this achievement.”

The Sarco Wind Farm is located in the Commune of Freirina in northern Chile. This commune is around 70 km to the south east of the city of Vallenar in the Atacama region. Construction on the project began in August of 2017 and in December of 2018 the project celebrated the installation of all of its 50 wind turbines. Each turbine has an individual capacity of 3.4 MW, which amounts to a total capacity of 170 MW. The project, which considered an investment of $240 million US dollars and will supply clean and renewable energy to around 260 thousand homes, will enter into operation in the coming months.