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Chaba Wind Farm

Wind power plant in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Approximate location -32.5912, 27.9631.

WindEastern CapeSouth AfricaOnshore

Chaba Wind Farm is a 22 MW wind power plant in Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is operated by InnoWind (Pty) Ltd Subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) Group. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 19k homes (estimated). It ranks #121 of 152 South Africa power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2015, it is around 11 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, wind supplies about 4.7% of South Africa's electricity; the national grid averages 699 gCO₂/kWh (17.8% low-carbon) (2025).

22Source-backed capacity
18,721homes powered (est.)
2015commissioned (~11 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061301.

Data status

Known data

FacilityChaba Wind Farm WRI
CountrySouth Africa · Eastern Cape WRI
Coordinates-32.5912, 27.9631 WRI
FuelWind WRI
MW installed capacity22 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerInnoWind (Pty) Ltd Subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) Group WRI
Commissioned2015 WRI
TechnologyOnshore WRI

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#121 of 152 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#23 of 24 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.23× · 94 MW median · 24 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent18,721 calculated
Climate18.5°C · HDD 267 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 40/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset
CO₂ emissionsnot applicable not applicable

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 operating-unit sum (location L100000900012); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 22 MW, Chaba Wind Farm is below the median wind plant in South Africa (94 MW). Technically it is described as Onshore. Wind turbines convert moving air into electricity; output is variable and site-dependent, and modern turbines deliver some of the lowest-cost new generation on many grids.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Capacity vs largest wind plants in South Africa

Longyuan Mulilo Green Energy De Aar 2 North Wind Energy Facility: 144 MW144Longyuan M…Khobab Wind: 140 MW140Khobab WindLoeriesfontein 2: 140 MW140Loeriesfon…Cookhouse: 139 MW139CookhouseGouda Wind Farm: 138 MW138Gouda Wind…Jeffrey's Bay Wind Farm: 138 MW138Jeffrey's …Amakhala Emoyeni Wind Farm: 131 MW131Amakhala E…Dorper Wind Farm: 100 MW100Dorper Win…

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by InnoWind (Pty) Ltd Subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) Group.

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 32.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

18.5°Cannual mean temp
267heating degree-days (base 18°C)
460cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
212 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 22 °CJF: 22 °CFM: 21 °CMA: 19 °CAM: 18 °CMJ: 16 °CJJ: 16 °CJA: 16 °CAS: 17 °CSO: 18 °CON: 19 °CND: 20 °CD22 °C

Heating degree-days here run 89% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 17/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
40/100environmental-severity index
6.4°Cseasonal temperature swing
32 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #23 largest wind power plant of 24 in South Africa by capacity.

South Africa has 24 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 2,029 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -32.5912, 27.9631 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Chaba Wind Farm?

Chaba Wind Farm is a 22 MW source-record wind power plant in Eastern Cape, South Africa, commissioned in 2015.

How many homes can Chaba Wind Farm power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 18,721 homes (estimated).

Who operates Chaba Wind Farm?

Chaba Wind Farm is operated by InnoWind (Pty) Ltd Subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) Group.

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