With mega-Euro investment pouring in to spur South African green energy infrastructure development, the ‘under construction’ Witberg wind farm is set to become the largest privately built wind energy facility in the nation, supplying clean power to 100 000+ homes and cutting over 420 000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. Located between Touws River and Laingsburg in the Western Cape, the 108 MW development is part of a major injection of foreign private capital into the country’s energy mix – and Sarens, a multinational abnormal load transporter based in Belgium, has played a critical role in carrying the wind turbines over 250km from port to plaas.
On behalf of Swiss global transport and logistics company, Kuehne+Nagel, Sarens was contracted to handle the transport of all 24 turbines (4.5 MW capability each) that will make up the wind power plant. The components, weighing over 391 tons in total, were moved in 216 loads using 18 transport combinations and 36 escort vehicles.
The abnormal haul started from the Saldanha (port) Laydown Area, with turbine tower sections collected from the GRI tower factory in Atlantis – a route that demanded precision planning, serious pulling power and specialist kit.
The Witberg wind farm, scheduled to come online in the first quarter of 2026, will be the largest private facility built to date in South Africa. Sarens has been directly involved in this project on behalf of Kuehne+Nagel, transporting the components to the Witberg wind energy project.
The new facility will significantly reduce power cuts in the Western Cape and inject impetus into the nation’s sustainable energy generation plans. In addition, the wind farm will prevent approximately 420 792 tons of CO₂ per year through fossil fuel power generation entering the atmosphere, while supplying renewable energy to more than 122 500 homes in the Witberg-Touws River area.
Moving huge towers and massive blades
The Sarens engineering team had to deal with a steep incline entering the site which, considering the weight of the loads, meant using an 8×8 truck to pull the components, as a normal 8×6 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 turbine component manufacturer.
Sarens brings over 25 years of experience in the lifting, transportation and installation of on-shore 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, the company 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.
The Witberg wind farm is being developed by Sibanye-Stillwater and will be operated by Red Rocket Energy, creating both direct and indirect jobs in the region as well as giving the reliability of our country’s energy grid a stiff shot in the arm.
The bottom line: Without trucks, the wind power stops.
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