{"id":45456,"date":"2026-02-26T10:57:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T10:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/?p=45456"},"modified":"2026-02-27T09:33:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T09:33:53","slug":"moving-giants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/company-news\/moving-giants\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving giants"},"content":{"rendered":"

W<\/span>hen people talk about renewable energy, solar power usually gets all the attention. However, wind power, with its simple design, holds major potential and is quietly becoming one of South Africa\u2019s best hopes for a cleaner, more reliable energy future.<\/p>\n

According to a report by the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA), wind energy is increasingly turning into a leading driver of South Africa\u2019s transition to a future built on renewable energy. The country has world-class wind resources, especially along its extensive 3 000km coastline, particularly in the Eastern and Western Cape.<\/p>\n

As of March 2025, SAWEA estimates that over 3.5GW (gigawatts) out of 63.4GW of installed capacity is generated from the 37 wind power plants currently operating in the country. These wind farms are estimated to contribute over 46 480GWh (gigawatt hours) annually.<\/p>\n

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South Africa has world-class wind resources, especially along its extensive 3 000km coastline, particularly in the Eastern and Western Cape.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAlthough solar power is more widely adopted \u2013 especially at the residential level \u2013 wind farms are purely mechanical and don\u2019t rely on complex chemical processes,\u201d says Reid. \u201cBut the logistics and planning behind getting a wind farm operational are highly complex.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2024) allocates a total of 76.4GW of new capacity to be provided by wind energy by 2050. \u201cThis presents significant opportunities for investment, industrialisation and job creation,\u201d Reid adds.<\/p>\n

Infrastructure to deliver<\/h3>\n

While wind power generation uses a simpler mechanical process, the components are large and heavy, requiring precise logistics management to enable efficient rollout of wind farms.<\/p>\n

In the wind-rich landscapes of the Eastern and Western Cape, Concord Cranes is helping power the country\u2019s renewable energy future, one turbine at a time.<\/p>\n

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[Photo: Concord Cranes]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSince June 2025, we started supporting African Clean Energy Developments in the construction of a 144MW wind farm. Our 260-ton crawler crane, operated by a team of 12 to 20 experts over an 11-month project, offloads equipment from vessels in the laydown area at Port of Coega in Gqeberha, and then reloads it on demand for delivery to the site in Murraysburg,\u201d says Reid.<\/p>\n

While this may sound straightforward, he emphasises the sheer scale of the work. \u201cThe planning and detail required to get these projects completed is enormous and the financial commitment is equally significant.\u201d In broad terms there are three tasks that need to be undertaken, and the requirements for each vary quite considerably.<\/p>\n

Phase 1: discharging the vessel<\/h3>\n

The first step focuses on logistics in the port: offloading all the turbine components such as blades, tower sections and nacelles, into the port laydown area for storage. \u201cThis 24-hour round-the-clock operation requires cranes, specialised vehicles and rigging crews and can take up to seven days,\u201d Reid explains.<\/p>\n

Once this is completed, reloading the components \u2013 some weighing up to 130 tons, 90 metres long and six metres wide \u2013 are reloaded onto specialised vehicles for transport to site. Detailed route surveys identify obstacles along the way, and all the necessary permits and police escorts must be arranged well in advance.<\/p>\n

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[Photo: Concord Cranes]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cA delivery of a set of three blades will require a convoy of up to 10 vehicles, excluding the delivery trucks themselves. By car, the drive from Port of Coega to Murraysburg takes about
four hours, but with these oversized loads and the complexity of the operation, a layover is often required,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Phase 2: building the turbines<\/h3>\n

Once components arrive on site, assembly cranes offload them in a detailed logistics operation. \u201cThe turbines themselves can reach heights of 120m,\u201d says Reid. \u201cPositioning the nacelle, containing the drive train and weighing between 80 to 120 tons, and then attaching the rotor and blades at heights up to 130 metres must be done in near wind-free conditions, often in the freezing early hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, the contractor must adhere to strict safety standards using cranes with between 800 and 1 000 tons, as well as a variety of support and tailing cranes.<\/p>\n

Phase 3: maintenance<\/h3>\n

The third operation is repairs and maintenance of existing turbines. \u201cThis involves getting spare components to site, providing cranes, riggers and the removal of damaged parts,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

As with the previous phases, safety and compliance remain central. \u201cEvery employee or subcontractor must have valid medical certificates, working at height certificates and certificates of competence,\u201d Reid adds. \u201cThen there\u2019s letters of appointment, labour market information, letters of good standing, professional driving permits and confirmation of public liability cover. Plus, every contract must include a detailed risk assessment, method statement, safe operating procedure and lifting plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

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[Photo: Concord Cranes]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While wind farming itself is a relatively simple and scalable way of producing electricity, setting it up is an intricate logistical ballet, with countless moving parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach of these must be managed carefully, with continuous improvements in processes to ensure that South Africa can take full advantage of its abundant wind resources and power the country\u2019s economic growth and a sustainable future for the
next generation,\u201d says Reid.<\/p>\n\n\n

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About Concord Cranes<\/h3>\n

Concord Cranes is the gold standard across Southern Africa when it comes to crane hire. Operating in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique, Concord Cranes is equipped with a versatile fleet of more than 180 cranes, ranging from eight tons to 800 tons sourced from high-quality global manufacturers. Concord Cranes delivers reliable lifting solutions to a wide range of industries, which include mining, construction, warehousing, logistics, renewable energy, petrochemical, civil infrastructure, oil and gas and maritime.<\/p>\n

Built on a legacy of family values, passion and determination, these principles guide Concord Cranes and its commitment to unmatched reliability and safety remaining your complete lifting partner.<\/p>\n

For more information visit concordcranes.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The complex business of getting wind turbines to site requires intricate planning, says Richard Reid, Regional Director of Concord Cranes. From offloading at ports, route choices, assembly and maintenance, precise logistics management is a must.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":45459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1964,3,11,9,1303,53,1797,560,31,116,38,541,6,17],"tags":[2069,1198,1487,1171,233,2068],"class_list":{"0":"post-45456","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business-news","8":"category-company-news","9":"category-eastern-cape","10":"category-manufacturing","11":"category-tradeinvestafrica-featured","12":"category-northern-cape","13":"category-published-in-print","14":"category-provincial-focus","15":"category-renewable-energy","16":"category-sadc","17":"category-south-africa","18":"category-top-story","19":"category-transportation-logistics","20":"category-western-cape","21":"tag-concord-cranes","22":"tag-green-energy","23":"tag-sawea","24":"tag-wind-energy","25":"tag-wind-power","26":"tag-wind-turbines"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45456"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45463,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45456\/revisions\/45463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalafricanetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}