A new piece for the energy transition South Africa and for the growth of Enel on the African continent. The Italian Enel Group has completed and activated Impofu wind farm, a 336 MW project in the Eastern Cape province, one of the largest private wind projects ever built in the country. Enel's CEO, Flavio Cattaneo.
With the entry into operation of the plant, Enel strengthens its position as the leading private operator in the renewable energy In South Africa, where it has been present in generation since 2011. The Group currently operates 15 plants, including 10 wind and 5 photovoltaic, for a total capacity of approximately 1,6 GW: 1,3 GW of wind and 0,3 GW of solar. This capacity represents approximately 10% of the country's entire renewable energy portfolio, and boasts a project pipeline of over 2 GW.
Impofu, 336 MW of wind energy
The system includes three wind farms with 57 turbines of 5,9 MW each, installed on 120-meter-high towers and equipped with 81-meter-long blades. The project also includes an overhead transmission line of approximately 120 kilometers, the longest privately built high-voltage line in South Africa, designed to directly connect generation to the national grid.
Impofu is capable of producing approximately 1,2 TWh per year, meeting the needs of approximately 490.000 families and avoiding the emission of over 1,1 million tons of CO₂ per year. The project is in line with the Italian government's commitment and the Mattei plan for the infrastructural and energy development of the area.
In addition to clean energy production, Impofu aims to support the industrial decarbonization path of South Africa. Due to its strategic importance, the project has been officially recognized by the South African government as a Strategic Integrated Project, becoming a priority infrastructure project for the country's economic transformation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
The investment also had repercussions on theoccupation and onlocal economyDuring construction, Impofu employed up to 2.000 workers at peak times, while also helping create approximately 800 additional jobs in local communities and involving over 20 local businesses.
Renewable energy and environmental protection
In the perspective of Creating Shared Value (Creating Shared Value – CSV), Enel has integrated innovative initiatives into the project that benefit the environment and the community. These include a innovative blade painting technique, or the safety coloring and painting of wind turbine blades, designed to reduce the impact on birds in flight. The solution was awarded by the University of Cape Town.
The project also directly engaged local communities through art. In collaboration with renowned South African street artists and local schoolchildren, three wind turbines were transformed into open-air works of art with dedicated murals, contributing to the area's tourism potential.
