The new Impofu wind farm combines renewable energy with local development
Enel has completed and commissioned the 336 MW Impofu wind farm in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, one of the largest privately developed wind projects ever built in the country. Enel CEO Flavio Cattaneo attended the inauguration ceremony.
With the plant now operational, Enel strengthens its position as South Africa’s leading private renewable energy operator, where it has been active in power generation since 2011. The Group currently operates 15 plants — 10 wind farms and five solar PV plants — with a total capacity of around 1.6 GW, comprising 1.3 GW of wind and 0.3 GW of solar. This represents approximately 10% of the country’s entire renewable energy fleet. Enel also has a project development pipeline exceeding 2 GW.
The facility consists of three wind farms featuring 57 turbines, each with a capacity of 5.9 MW. The turbines are installed on 120-metre-high towers and feature 81-metre-long blades. The infrastructure also includes approximately 120 km of overhead transmission lines — the longest privately built high-voltage transmission line in the country — directly connecting the facility’s output to the national grid.
Impofu is capable of generating approximately 1.2 TWh of electricity per year, enough to meet the consumption needs of around 490,000 households while avoiding more than 1.1 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
The project is aligned with the Italian Government’s commitment and the Mattei Plan for infrastructure and energy development in the region.
The project represents a benchmark for South Africa’s industrial decarbonisation process. In recognition of its strategic importance, it has been officially designated a Strategic Integrated Project by the South African Government, making it a priority infrastructure project for economic transformation, social inclusion and environmental sustainability.
During the construction phase, Impofu employed up to 2,000 workers at peak periods, while creating around 800 additional jobs within local communities and involving more than 20 local businesses.
As part of its Creating Shared Value (CSV) approach, Enel incorporated innovative environmental and community initiatives into the project. In particular, the project received recognition from the University of Cape Town for its innovative blade-painting technique, designed to reduce the impact of wind turbines on bird flight and help improve avian safety.
In collaboration with renowned South African street artists and students from local schools, three wind turbines were transformed into open-air works of art featuring dedicated murals, enhancing the area’s appeal from a tourism perspective as well.