Cape wind farm gets green light

[MalicE]

Cape Town – A proposed wind farm has been given the green light by Western Cape environmental authorities, the Cape Times reported on Thursday.

The environmental affairs and development planning department reportedly said the farm near Wolseley would not be in conflict with environmental legislation.

Full story HERE

Look ANC, this is what we here in the Western Cape call "progress"

[simon]

Why are there not more wind farms in the Western Cape. Cape Town has a huge supply of this horrid natural resource, hell as far as I am concerned they can rip out all the weeds they call fynbos to put the windmills there. They would look so much better I reckon.

[HavocXphere]

Wind farms are cool with two minor issues: They kill birds & bats and they are a (small) drop in the ocean.

90MW...cool story. Medupi is 4800MW, Kusile 5400MW.

Sure that 90MW is renewable, but we need something that will scale - preferable without cost a fortune.

[MissileToe]

Wind farms are cool with two minor issues: They kill birds & bats and they are a (small) drop in the ocean.

90MW...cool story. Medupi is 4800MW, Kusile 5400MW.

Sure that 90MW is renewable, but we need something that will scale - preferable without cost a fortune.

I suppose it's only a matter of time before they start killing people too, if the number of people in accidents involving ceiling fans is anything to go by.

[Adoxographist]

The weak rand is really going to make the project more expensive. Is 90 MW worth the investment?

[Ike_009]

The weak rand is really going to make the project more expensive. Is 90 MW worth the investment?

We could always keep using coal forever

[Adoxographist]

We could always keep using coal forever

Sure, but we need thousands of MW capacity. With over capacity we can export. 90mw is nothing but pocket change. And the constant maintenance required with the high amounts of brain-drain in South Africa is only going to increase the expenses for these. Coal can last us about 112 years at current rate of production. http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/where-is-coal-found/
I say just use coal for the next few decade while renewable energy becomes more efficient to be a worthwhile investment, especially for a cash-strapped country like South Africa.

[Ike_009]

Sure, but we need thousands of MW capacity. With over capacity we can export. 90mw is nothing but pocket change. And the constant maintenance required with the high amounts of brain-drain in South Africa is only going to increase the expenses for these. Coal can last us about 112 years at current rate of production. http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/where-is-coal-found/
I say just use coal for the next few decade while renewable energy becomes more efficient to be a worthwhile investment, especially for a cash-strapped country like South Africa.

[jasong]

The area around the neck from Rooi Els would make for a great wind farm I reckon.