A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Rhodes University, InnoWind Pty (Ltd) and Makana Municipality for a wind farm to be built at Waainek outside Grahamstown.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Rhodes University, InnoWind Pty (Ltd) and Makana Municipality for a wind farm to be built at Waainek outside Grahamstown.
There have been some protests against the initaitive, most notably from the monks of Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery who have said that the wind turbines will spoil their view and disturb their peace.
Jaine Roberts, the director of the Research office at Rhodes University, said “If people object to wind turbines, saying that they are spoiling the view, would they rather have a coal mine dump?”
The idea of building a wind farm as an alternative way of generating electricity for Grahamstown and its surrounds was formed in May last year, spearheaded by Dr Garth Cambray, the managing director of Makana Meadery.
The managing director of the French company InnoWind, Martin Diaz Webb said that they have followed the correct Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures.
“In any innovative project there will always be interested and affected parties,” said Webb. Makana Mayor Vumile Luwana said: “In this period of economic recession always search for solutions” and that this is why the municipality is embarking on journey to commit themselves to affordable ways of producing clean and efficient energy.
Multiple turbines will be built which will generate large amounts of electricity. The building of the wind farm will provide employment and benefit the economy in the long run considering the energy saving nature of generating electricity using wind.
a Winds of Change education trust fund will also be set up, that will obtain a 26% stake in the company. Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart said that the signing of the memorandum is one of those occasions we have been waiting for.
“This shows that the municipality is indeed serious about creating a conducive environment for economic development,” she said.
