79
December 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
Public Private Partnerships
D
SPECIAL MENTION
Noblesfontein Wind Energy & Substation Facility
T
he NoblesfonteinWind Energy Facility (WEF) is located close to
VictoriaWest, in theNorthernCape Province (Greater Karoo), and
consists of a total of 41 Vestas wind turbine generators with a
power output of 1,8 MW each (73 MW).
Group Five Civil Engineering, a registered subsidiary of Group Five
Construction, has been subcontracted by the joint venture Iberdrola
Engineering&Construction SouthAfrica andGroup Five Construction
PPP, to construct themuch-acclaimed renewable energy project – the
Noblesfontein WEF.
The total project cost is estimated at more than R165 146 151 and
the project contract duration of 14 months which commenced end
of April 2013. With an increased focus on renewable energy sources
worldwide today, it is important that a project of this nature, arguably
one of the first wind energy facilities in South Africa, is executed to
time and quality standards. The construction team has worked hard
to overcome many logistical and resourcing constraints to ensure
delivery of the project to the client’s satisfaction.
For any project of this nature to succeed, it is always important to
fully understand not only the client’s requirements, but also its geo-
graphical positioning and context; including among other things the
strengths and weaknesses of local construction businesses in order
to adopt an appropriate implementation strategy.The infrastructure
associated with the Noblesfontein WEF includes:
• 41 wind turbines with a total generating capacity of 78 MW
using turbines with a generating capacity of up to 1,8 MW
• 22 hectares of the proposed site will be permanently
transformed for the installation of the turbines and
related infrastructure
• Each turbine will be a steel tower (80 m in height), nacelle (gear
box) and three rotor blades with a rotor diameter of 110 m (i.e.
each blade 55 m in length)
• 41 temporary turbine laydown areas of 50 m x 25 m
(55 000 m
2
)
Project information
• Name of project: Noblesfontein Wind Energy &
Substation Facility
• Company entering: Group Five Civil Engineering
• Project start date: April 2013
• Project end date: May 2014
• Client: Joint Venture Group Five Construction and
Iberdrola Engineering & Construction South Africa
• Main contractor: Group Five Civil Engineering
• Consulting engineer: Group Five Engineering and
Construction
• Project value: R162 800 419 (excluding VAT)
• 41 Concrete foundations to support the turbine towers (16 m
diameter x 2,5 m in depth)
• A temporary laydown area with a footprint of 5,5 hectares
• A 132 kV substation with high voltage (HV) yard footprint of
approximately 100 m x 100 m
• Underground cabling between the project components
• One new overhead 132 kV power line of 1 km in length, turning
into the existing Hutchinson/Biesiespoort-1 132 kV line
• Internal access roads (4 m wide and 37 km long) linking the
wind turbines and the infrastructure on the site, and
• Operations and maintenance building including a storage
facility with a footprint of 40 m x 20 m for maintenance and
storage purposes.
