Testing will then begin and Brokken says the turbines will most likely be fully operational in August/September. The life span of the turbines is 20 years. After this, the turbines will be assessed and decisions about the way forward will only be made at the end of the two decades, he says. Although the main contractor is based in Denmark, South African companies have been subcontracted for the civil, electrical and installation processes of the project, allowing around 200 people from local communities to be employed in the process. The Department of Energy has set out regulations that wind turbine supplier Vestas is expected to follow and to date, the project has run accordingly, Brokken said. He said all regulations had been adhered to and all the companies involved had met their obligations.