It has been providing renewable energy in South Africa for four years and now Longyuan SA, a subsidiary of the world’s largest wind power developer, has made a commitment to provide students from the University of the Western Cape with educational support.
The company this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UWC that will see it providing students from the Northern Cape with an opportunity to complete internships at Longyuan SA’s two wind farms in De Aar.
Longyuan SA is the wholly-owned subsidiary of China Longyuan and China Energy Corporation. Longyuan SA, with its local partner Mulilo, operates two wind projects with a combined investment of more than R5 billion in the Northern Cape. One of these is the largest operational wind project in the country.
During the virtual ceremony, UWC’s Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius welcomed the new partnership. “We are grateful that Longyuan SA sees value in our institution, and is willing to invest in our students and university. We look forward to building a mutually beneficial relationship with Longyuan SA in the years to come.”
Longyuan’s wind farms make a significant contribution not only to the power supply grid, but also to employment and the local economy. This agreement, which will see Longyuan SA working closely with UWC on various initiatives including the funding of bursaries, the provision of laptops and devices, practical training and environmental protection, forms part of the company’s substantial investment in South Africa.
UWC is proud of its green initiatives, said Prof Pretorius, and of being recognised repeatedly as Africa’s greenest campus. “We therefore look forward to welcoming Longyuan SA to our campus when it reopens so that we can share some of our many projects that focus on creating alternative energy sources.”
He added: “As a research-led university, UWC understands all too well the many challenges that our world faces. The provision of sustainable and clean energy sources is of vital importance.”