Mainstream and joint venture partner Geneses Eco-Energy kicked off public consultation on their Jeffrey’s Bay wind energy project at the weekend.
Displays showing details of the 100 Megawatt project were on display at the town’s ’shell festival’ over the weekend.
The Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm is one of a number of proposals in South Africa hoping to be in the first tranch to secure a fixed rate tariff from the Government.
Mainstream Renewable Power SA Director Leila Mahomed-Weidman said ‘people have been very positive about the project with many asking how quickly can you get the wind turbines up’.
An Environmental Impact Assessment will be carried out from next month according to Mahomed Weidman and decisions about which of the projects will go ahead will be determined based largely on this work.
The Jeffreys Bay area currently suffers from power cuts and the objective of the proposal according to Mainstream is to ‘help stabilise energy supply to the area. A stable energy supply as well as stabilisation of the grid will assist the local economy in developing a greater degree of energy security. The project has the potential to produce enough green energy to power approximately 200,000 households.
