BRICS Media Forum: Spotlight on a Chinese-South African wind power project

The sixth BRICS media forum opened in Johannesburg, highlighting Sino-African energy cooperation and the De Aar wind power project in South Africa. Participants discussed technological transition and energy cooperation for mutually beneficial development in Africa.

Share:

The sixth BRICS Media Forum opened in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 19. Wang Min, Director of CHN Energy Investment Group, spoke about Sino-African cooperation in the energy sector in his opening speech.

BRICS Media Forum: The De Aar wind project in South Africa, a symbol of ecological cooperation and economic development

The De Aar wind power project effectively alleviates the electricity shortage in South Africa, promotes local economic development and plays an important role in protecting the local environment. Around 200 deputies from some 100 media organizations, think tanks and international organizations from 30 countries held discussions on the theme of “BRICS and Africa: Strengthening media dialogue for a shared and unbiased future”, with the aim of building high-quality BRICS friendship and developing the BRICS mechanism.

CHN Energy, one of the world’s largest energy suppliers, has built and manages South Africa’s largest wind power project, “De Aar Wind Power Project”, which supplies clean wind power to 300,000 homes a year, and is creatively building an inclusive eco-growth model that integrates project, company, society and environment. This project is considered a model of cooperation in the energy sector between the BRICS countries.

BRICS-Africa cooperation: ambassadors and experts testify to technological and economic progress in the energy sector

Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, South Africa’s ambassador to China, said that BRICS countries are actively exploring ways to move from traditional production methods to high-tech production and digitization. Chinese companies played an important role in this process. Meilleur Murindabigwi, CEO of IGIHE Ltd, a mainstream media outlet in Rwanda, emphasized that Africa today is in dire need of this type of cooperation when he commented on the wind power project cooperated by CHN Energy and South Africa.

“China-Africa energy cooperation not only bridges the local energy gap, but also transfers technology and helps host countries train professionals. I hope there will be more energy cooperation in other African countries”, he declared.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, a member of the political bureau of the central committee of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF), ZANU PF’s information and publicity secretary and former ambassador to China, said Zimbabwe expected CHN Energy to come to Zimbabwe to carry out clean energy projects and work together to expand cooperation in the energy sector, including contributing to clean energy development to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, as well as common development for all.

German group wpd takes over the teams and a portfolio of 17 wind projects from Calycé, consolidating its position in the French market and expanding its regional presence, particularly in the Grand Est, with the support of Envinergy.
SPIE Wind Connect partners with Van Oord to connect and test 21 high-voltage cables for the Windanker offshore wind farm, marking a key milestone in the development of Germany’s offshore wind sector.
Envision Energy and FERA Australia announce an agreement to develop up to 1 GW of wind and 1.5 GWh of storage on the Australian market, laying the foundation for a new hybrid power plant model.
German group RWE has completed installation of all 100 monopile foundations at Sofia, a 1.4 GW offshore wind farm located 195 kilometres from the British coast, marking a major step in the construction of the project.
Greece’s wind sector reaches a new milestone with 5.5 GW installed, driven by 37 new turbines and €180 mn in investments during the first half of 2025, according to ELETAEN.
Nomura Real Estate has signed a power purchase agreement for its new Tokyo headquarters with wpd and GPSS Group, supplying the Higashi Izu Furusato wind project with a capacity of 7.48 MW.
Energiequelle completes the commissioning of two Enercon E-160 turbines in Raßlitz, replacing previous models and increasing the installed capacity of the Saxony site more than fivefold.
Ørsted has completed a $2.75bn project financing with 25 banks and five export credit agencies for the 632 MW Greater Changhua 2 offshore wind farm in Taiwan, strengthening its industrial partnership strategy. —
Masdar and Iberdrola announce a joint investment of €5.2 billion in the East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm in the United Kingdom and full commissioning of the German Baltic Eagle project (476 MW).
Energiekontor AG has secured contracts for four wind projects with a total capacity of 125 megawatts, following the Federal Network Agency's May 2025 tender in Germany.
Ecopetrol S.A. finalises the acquisition of Wind Autogeneración from Enel S.A.S., thereby taking over the Windpeshi wind project in Colombia, with a planned capacity of 205 MW, aimed at the Colombian oil group's energy self-consumption.
Oceanic Wind Energy Inc. and Coast Tsimshian Enterprises Ltd. secured an exclusive investigative use permit in the Hecate Strait, paving the way for Canada's first major offshore wind project, targeting capacity of up to 700 MW.
German manufacturer Nordex will supply 13 N163/6.X wind turbines to developer SAB WindTeam for a 91 MW wind farm in Brandenburg, with commissioning scheduled for early 2027 and an extended 20-year service agreement.
EDF is delaying the start-up of the Calvados offshore wind farm by more than two years, citing extended adjustments to a drilling tool vital for installing the sixty-four monopile foundations off Courseulles-sur-Mer.
German company NeXtWind signs historic €1.4 billion debt financing to accelerate expansion and modernisation of its onshore wind farms and reach a total capacity of 3 GW by 2028.
Energy company TGS has won a major high-resolution geophysical imaging contract for offshore wind site characterization in Norway, strengthening its position in this rapidly growing market.
Iberdrola Australia secures crucial approval from Australian authorities to begin metocean studies for its 3GW Aurora Green offshore project off the coast of Victoria, marking a decisive stage in its development.
ENGIE begins full operation of the Red Sea Wind Energy wind farm in Egypt, increasing its capacity to 650 MW, four months ahead of schedule, now powering over one million homes in the region.
Tokyo Gas, through TOWII Renewables, a joint venture with EWII, purchases two onshore wind projects developed by Finnish company Puhuri, totalling 74.4 MW, marking its expansion beyond the Danish market.
The European Investment Bank grants EWE AG historic €450mn financing for the installation of 2,600 km of underground power lines and the upgrade of over 1,100 substations in Lower Saxony.