South Africa's first tower plant under construction

SOUTH AFRICA: South African heavy-engineering group DCD has broken ground on the country's first tower manufacturing plant, at Port Elizabeth in Eastern Cape province.

by Jan Dodd 6 June 2013

The facility, due for completion in January, will produce around 110 tubular steel, 120-metre towers a year in the first instance.

DCD is currently finalising contracts with its first two customers, Vestas and Nordex, marketing manager Henk Schoeman told “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç.

At the same time, Indian-turbine manufacturer Suzlon said it is at an "advanced" stage with its plans to build a tower factory, although it declined to give further details.

The company has been contracted to supply turbines to the 135MW Cookhouse project, currently under construction, and a 138MW facility at Amakhala Emoyeni, which has just reached financial close.

These manufacturing initiatives come in response to the local content requirement in South Africa's renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme (REIPPP).

This stipulates a minimum of 25% in the first bidding round, rising to 40% in the third round, which will close in August.