West Coast 1

West Coast 1 is a 94 MW wind power plant in Western Cape, South Africa. It is operated by ENGIE (43%) Investec Bank Limited (34.5%) and KTH (20%). Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 79,991 homes (estimated). It ranks #51 of 122 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).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1026023.

Capacity vs largest wind plants in South Africa

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

Owner

Operated by ENGIE (43%) Investec Bank Limited (34.5%) and KTH (20%).

Local climate & thermal context

This wind plant converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity through turbine rotors. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 32.8°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 75% 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: 22/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

In colder climates, uninsulated hot equipment (boilers, turbines, valves, steam lines) loses proportionally more heat to ambient air — exactly the loss Inzonex modular insulation is designed to cut.

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.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #12 largest wind power plant of 24 in South Africa by capacity.

South Africa has 24 wind power plants in this dataset, together about 2,031 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Hopefield · Wind · 67 MW · Western Cape
• Aurora Solar Power Plant · Solar · 10 MW · Western Cape
• Darling Wind Farm · Wind · 5 MW · Western Cape
• SlimSun Swartland Solar Park · Solar · 5 MW · Western Cape
• Swartland Solar Power Plant · Solar · 5 MW · Western Cape
• Paleisheuwel Solar Power Plant · Solar · 82 MW · Western Cape

Location

Coordinates -32.834, 18.0061 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.