By Brian Hayward

In a first for the World Cup in South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be running on “green power” thanks to the city’s first wind turbine constructed at Coega in time for kick-off.

Belgian green energy company Electrawinds, who head the R1.2-billion project which will see 25 turbines erected by 2012, boasts it has completed the “first commercial wind turbine in South Africa”.

“The green energy produced by the turbine between June 11 and July 11 will be given to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, which is on the same electricity grid,” said Electrawinds spokesman Marleen Vanhecke.

“From signing the contract with the Danish turbine constructor Vestas to the production of the first green energy, the entire project took barely three months.

“Such a project could normally take up to 18 months.

“However, this job had to be done quickly. The authorities in Port Elizabeth insisted strongly that the turbine had to be ready for the start of the World Cup.”

First mooted last year, there were fears the project could be hampered because of the sometimes lengthy negotiations with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), and local municipalities, on how to sell privately generated power into the main grid run by power provider Eskom.

Until now this has not been allowed, but following on Eskom’s disastrous power outages in 2008, when demand outstripped supply, the government has been keen to see secondary power suppliers enter the market.

When complete the wind farm will provide 5.7-million kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough green energy to power about 1 700 households for a year.

It is not the only wind farm mooted for the province. Another is set to go up on the outskirts of Grahamstown, and another near Van Stadens River mouth outside the Bay, a project of the city’s municipality.

Source: The Herald