Spanish manufacturer invests in SA renewable energy

Gestamp Wind Steel will have a facility in Cape Town, employing over 250 people to manufacture around 200 steel wind towers per year, while Gestamp Solar Steel's Johannesburg facility will employ over 115 people to manufacture Photovoltaics (PV) and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies steel structures.

According to Gestamp's statement, the manufacturing facilities in Johannesburg and Cape Town will be in operation before the end of 2012. They will then supply steel components to first round preferred bidders in the South African government's renewable energy Independent Power Producer (IPP) procurement programme. According to Javier Imáz, CEO of Gestamp Renewable Industries, the company's investment shows its intention "to make South Africa a key market in its global strategy." Imáz added that the planned manufacturing facilities we also will be used to deploy and share Gestamp's know-how with the local market.

Gestamp Wind and Gestamp Solar will also start this year with the construction of the projects awarded to them in the first round of the IPP procurement programme: A R1.6 Billion, 75 MW wind farm located in the Karoo's Victoria West, and two PV projects (18 MW and 12 MW) located in Northern Cape with an investment of around R1 Billion. Both wind and solar power projects are expected to be in operation by the end of 2013.

Read the full article on www.evwind.es.