Wind Energy

RES enters South African wind energy market with acquisition of 300 MW

These wind farms, which are at an early stage of development, have an estimated installed capacity of close to 300 MW. They will be  developed by a newly-formed fully-owned subsidiary of the RES Group, RES Southern Africa.

The RES Group has in-house expertise encompassing all aspects of renewable project development – from site prospecting to operation & maintenance – and has the skills and experience to bring these projects to successful commercial operation.

RES Southern Africa has established its office in Cape Town and has started to build the local team that will develop these projects and also assess further opportunities in the South African renewable energy market.

Stephen Balint, Strategy and Communications Director of RES Group, said: We are delighted to have completed this deal, which establishes a strong position for us in the market. We have identified South Africa as a substantial growth area for our business. The need to meet growing electricity demand, combined with the need to reduce carbon emissions in response to the pressures of climate change, means there is great potential to exploit the country’s abundant wind and solar energy resources.

Thomas Riboud, Director of RES Southern Africa, added, We are particularly excited to have acquired these projects and to be entering into the South African market at this time. We have been working on our strategy for this market for some time and this acquisition is the first step of many to come. We expect the South African renewable energy market to be a very challenging environment for developers but we are fully committed to developing these projects and building a substantial portfolio in the region.

RES is a leading independent renewable energy project developer with operations across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. RES has been at the forefront of wind energy development since the 1970s and has developed and/or built more than 4.5 GW of wind energy capacity worldwide, including projects in the UK, Ireland, France, Scandinavia, and the United States, with a large additional portfolio in development.

The RES Group is active in a range of renewable energy technologies, including large-scale solar and biomass and on-site heat, power and cooling technologies, as well as offering design consultancy for sustainable built environments. Drawing on decades of experience in the renewable energy and construction industries, RES has the expertise to develop, construct and operate projects of outstanding quality.

www.res-group.com