International energy company EDF power solutions on December 11 achieved the commercial operation date (COD) at the 140 MW San Kraal Wind Farm, which forms part of its 420 MW Koruson 1 project cluster.

The San Kraal Wind Farm, located near Noupoort on the border of the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces, is the first of three 140 MW wind farms in the Koruson 1 cluster to reach COD.

The remaining sites, Phezukomoya and Coleskop, are also in the final stages of completion and the overall project is expected to achieve COD early in 2026.

The Koruson 1 project includes South Africa’s largest self-build main transmission substation (MTS) by an independent power producer (IPP), which was completed and energised on April 5, EDF power solutions says.

The Koruson 400/132 kV MTS was designed and built to connect 1.5 GW of renewable energy from the adjoining Koruson 1 and Koruson 2 projects to the national grid.

Developed by a consortium led by EDF power solutions, together with local South African black economic empowerment partners, H1 Holdings, Gibb-Crede and a local community trust, the Koruson 1 project was awarded under Round 5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.

The consortium has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with the designated offtaker.

The 26 San Kraal wind turbines have a nominal capacity of 5.4 MW each and are synchronous turbines, which use a generator where the rotational speed of the rotor is directly synchronised with the frequency of the electricity generated.

These turbines improve plant reliability and provide grid stability, EDF power solutions avers.

The concrete turbine towers were manufactured at a local factory near Middelburg, which employed 400 workers during the construction period.

The main contractors are Goldwind, which supplied and installed the 26 wind turbines, and the Concor and OptiPower consortium, which supplied the balance of plant.

“We are gearing up for commercial operation on Koruson 1. The projects assist in achieving the South African Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025. The plan maps out the future of the country’s electricity mix, with a long-term goal of achieving a Net Zero electricity sector by 2050, including the addition of 34 GW of new wind turbines,” says EDF power solutions Southern Africa VP Tristan de Drouas.

“The Koruson 1 consortium demonstrates the power of partnership in driving South Africa’s energy transition. This project not only delivers clean, reliable power to the grid but also creates meaningful opportunities for local communities and businesses. We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of renewable-energy development are shared widely, supporting economic growth and empowerment in the regions where we operate,” says H1 Holdings CEO Reyburn Hendricks.

“The successful completion of the San Kraal Wind Farm is a testament to the dedication and expertise of all the partners involved. Beyond the contribution of the Koruson 1 cluster of projects to South Africa’s economic recovery plan and our climate change goals, we are particularly proud of the project’s contribution to local content and job creation,” says Gibb-Crede chairperson Richard Vries.