Foundations completed at Perdekraal East Wind Farm

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Danette Breitenbach

The foundations for all 48 of Perdekraal East Wind Farm's turbines have been completed, a full three weeks ahead of schedule. In addition, the majority of the labour is employed from the local communities of Ceres, Nduli, Bella Vista and Prince Alfred Hamlet, in support of local employment and upliftment.

Perdekraal East foundations completed

“Around 70% of the workforce responsible for building the foundations come from these beneficiary communities,” said Glenn Hobson, construction project manager for Perdekraal Wind Farm.

The first foundation was poured on 22 November 2018, using a 70% cement replacement, which signals a significant improvement in the concrete mix and reducing the carbon footprint by 32,5%.

Furthermore, all material excavated from the foundations has been reused on the site, either as fill on roads or in preparation for the hard stands, situated adjacent to the foundations.

Each turbine base has a 19-metre comprising over 45 tonnes of reinforced steel and 369m³ of 30 MPa concrete; whilst the plinth requires 23 m³ of 60 MPa concrete. This is equivalent to a total of 65 full concrete trucks per foundation.

This 110MW wind farm spans 3,055 hectares and will generate enough clean electricity to power up to 95,000 South African homes. 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 Perdekraal East Wind Farm.