First Goldwind turbine up at 242-MW wind farm in South Africa

Chinese wind turbine maker Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd (SHE:002202) today said it has successfully installed the first of 39 machines at the 242-MW Phase 1 of the Overberg Wind Farm in South Africa.

Wind turbine. Author: Michel Filion. Licence: Creative Commons

The Overberg plant’s initial stage will be equipped with the Chinese manufacturer’s 6.2-MW smart wind turbines, engineered specifically to operate in South Africa’s wind conditions. The project, which is set to reach 380 MW in size, is owned by South African independent power producer (IPP) Red Rocket.

The Overberg wind farm will be located near Swellendam in the Western Cape, with its first section expected to reach commercial operations in early 2027. Once fully commissioned, the complex will become South Africa’s largest privately developed single wind farm.

Financial close for the initial phase of the Overberg project was achieved in March 2025. A 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) is in place with mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd’s (ASX:RIO) subsidiary Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) for a 230 MW portion of the plant’s output, equal to an estimated supply of 750 GWh of clean electricity annually.