This wind farm, scheduled to come online in the first quarter of 2026, will be the largest private facility built to date in the country and will feature 24 V136-4.5 MW turbines.
Sarens has been directly involved in this project on behalf of Kuehne+Nagel, transporting the components of the 24 wind turbines, each weighing over 391 tons, divided into 216 loads.
The Witberg wind farm, located between Touws River and Laingsburg in Western Cape, will represent a significant step forward for this region of South Africa, reducing power cuts and addressing the country's energy shortage. In addition, this wind farm, which will be the largest private facility of its kind built to date in South Africa, will prevent the emission of approximately 420,792 tons of CO2 per year, supplying renewable energy to more than 122,500 homes in the region.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental services, has contributed directly to the development of this strategic project for the South African energy sector. On behalf of Kuehne+Nagel, Sarens has worked on the transport of the components of the 24 wind turbines that make up the wind farm, with a combined weight of more than 391 tons divided into 216 loads. To do this, 18 transport combinations were used, as well as 36 private escort vehicles to transport the main components from the Saldanha Laydown Area and the tower sections from the GRI tower factory in Atlantis.
The Sarens engineering team had to deal with a steep incline of entering the site. Which, considering the weight of the loads, meant using an 8x8 truck to pull the components, as a normal 8x6 truck with ballast was not sufficient. In addition, to facilitate the movement of the blades, each over 66 metres long, it was necessary to use a Gyro Table provided by the component manufacturer.
This new wind farm, which will come into operation in the first quarter of 2026, will have 24 V136-4.5 MW turbines manufactured by Vestas, a nominal power of 108 MW and a contracted power of 103 MW. Developed by Sibanye-Stillwater and operated by Red Rocket Energy, this facility will have a significant impact on both direct and indirect job creation in the region, as well as on the reliability of its energy grid.
Sarens brings over 25 years of experience in the lifting, transportation and installation of onshore wind turbines across all types of terrain. With a portfolio spanning more than 7.000 wind turbine installations in over 40 countries, Sarens has helped deliver over 25.000 MW of installed wind capacity worldwide. From high-altitude mountain sites to remote desert and coastal locations, Sarens continues to support wind energy developers with reliable heavy lifting solutions. Recent projects include operations in sub-zero temperatures in Belarus, where Sarens installed the tallest Vestas turbines in Asmolovichi, and in Australia, where the tallest wind towers were erected at the Glenn Innes wind farm in New South Wales.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 65 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 5,000 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/