A large-scale wind power plant built by a Chinese company has started operation in De Aar, Northern Cape Province, South Africa, authorities said on Saturday.
The Longyuan Mulilo De Aar Wind Power Project generates 600 million kwh of green power for South Africa each year, meeting the electricity demand of 85,000 local residents, the Northern Cape provincial government said.
This is equivalent to saving 215,800 tons of standard coal and emission reduction of 619,900 tons of carbon dioxide, according to MN Jack, member of the Executive Council for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism in Northern Cape Province.
The project makes a positive contribution to the local energy structure and the economic development, Jack said at a ceremony launching the operation on Friday.
“We hope that all the local people are going to maximize the benefits and job opportunities offered by the project,” said Jack.
The project uses turbines made by China Guodian United Power Technology Co., Ltd.
As one of China’s top five power producers, China Guodian Group currently has a total installed capacity of 142 million kilowatts, of which 99.26 million kilowatts are thermal power and 22.83 million kilowatts wind power, accounting for 30.5 percent of clean and renewable energies.
“Clean energy and energy conservation and emission reduction are our characteristics,” said Wei Chen, general manager of Longyuan SA, a company under China Guodian Group and is building and operating wind power projects in South Africa.
Wei told Xinhua that the company is also actively undertaking its social obligations through extensive procurement of local equipment and employment of local people.
The wind power project is currently employing more than 1,000 local people, according to Wei.
At the launch ceremony, Longyuan SA announced the donation of 500,000 rand (about 37,000 U.S. dollars) to local schools.
This project not only bodes well for the local community but also contributes the the rapidly growing cooperation between South Africa and China, said Johnny Cullum, CEO of Mulilo Group of Companies, which is devoted to clean energy. Enditem
