30.05.2019

Khobab / Loeriesfontein

Siemens Gamesa, SWT 2.3 VS, Over 100 turbines

Onshore

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Description:
FairWind was tasked with installing over 120 Siemens turbines at two sites in South Africa – 61 at Khobab and 61 at Loeriesfontein.

 

Challenges included:

    • Remote area and terrain.
      The location received only 5 cm of rain during the entire 10 month period of the project. Dust was a frequent issue, and even environmental factors such as venomous snakes appearing on site. Altogether, weather delays topped 60 days.

 

    • Logistical issues.
      The site was over 100 km from the closest city, and over 400 km from Cape Town. Quickly acquiring supplies or tools was not possible.

 

    • Manpower.
      FairWind was contractually obligated to use a large number of locally-sourced technicians.

 

FairWind leveraged its global experience and local resources to tackle the challenges associated with such a large-scale project.

 

A strong local entity established in 2013, FairWind Installation (PTY) Ltd, helped facilitate logistical support and train local South African technicians for the job.

 

To compensate for the logistical issues related to the remote area of the site, camps were built from scratch for the technicians, including housing, water and electricity, and kitchens. By September 2017, FairWind’s South African entity was officially completely independent of the need for hotels or rentals.

 

In spite of very substantial roadblocks, these major projects were finished on deadline to the satisfaction of the client’s needs.

 

 

Download Case Study
Project Name:
Khobab / Loeriesfontein
Project Type:
Installation
Customer:
Siemens
Location:
South Africa
Execution Period:
July 2016 to September 2017
Scope:
Full-scope installation
Size:
122 turbines