About Kouga Wind Farm
Kouga Wind Farm is a renewable energy project which makes the most of the fresh onshore breezes that sweep the Eastern Cape coastline of South Africa.
Situated between Oyster Bay and St Francis Bay, Kouga Wind Farm (80MW) has delivered clean energy to the grid since 2015; in so doing, it is contributing to the country’s decarbonisation.
According to the Department of Energy’s national integrated resource plan, the renewable energy sector is targeted to provide 42% of SA’s energy requirements by 2030, with wind farms playing an increasingly productive role.
Kouga Wind Farm alone mitigates over 270 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions each year and helps to create a brighter, cleaner future for the surrounding communities.
Explore The Wind Farm
Kouga Wind Farm is one of just 28 wind farms approved by the Department of Energy during round one of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme. It has been fully operational since March 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The farm itself is 2 948 hectares in total but the 32 turbines and their infrastructure cover an actual footprint of just 28 hectares. The rest is used for agriculture.
All 32 turbines belong to the Nordex N90 model, each with a capacity of 2.5MW (megawatts).
The hub height (at the top of the tower) is 80m, with a blade length of 45m.
The turbines are in operation between 70 and 80% of the time. The turbines are dependent on high enough wind speeds to turn the blades. A minimum wind speed of around 13 or 14 kilometres per hour, or four metres per second, is required for the turbine to start turning. This is known as the cut-in speed.
As wind speed increases, the generator output of a turbine will increase. When the wind hits speeds of 12 to 13 metres per second, the turbine is usually operating at its rated capacity i.e. 2.5MW. If the wind speed increases, the turbine will remain operating at capacity. When the wind reaches cut-out speed, usually around 25 metres per second, the turbine will apply its own braking system and the blades will stop turning. The turbine then rotates 90 degrees out of the wind and parks itself. When the wind speed drops, the turbine rotates back into the wind, releases the brakes and starts operating again.
Kouga Wind Farm’s 32 turbines generate approximately 300 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year.
This is enough to supply approximately 50 000 average households with electricity for a year.
Kouga Wind Farm has a licence to operate for a 20-year period. Should the wind farm not apply to extend its tenure, it will proceed to the decommissioning stage, where the turbines will be taken down and all visible traces of the wind farm removed.