Construction work on the 50MW Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant in the Northern Cape, South Africa is moving on smoothly with 50 percent of the work through.
The solar power plant, which is being built as part of the Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in the country will be equipped with the largest thermal storage capacity ever adopted by plants of such a class. The capacity targeted is 9.3 hours.
According to Acwa Power who owns the project, this capacity would enable the Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power Plant to generate high energy during the day and night, with production of 230GWh in excess per year.
The Director of Acwa Power Southern Africa Business Chris Ehlers noted that the Southern Africa CSP Industry needed long term certainty to attract more CSP supply chain in the country, thus increasing local content. This will help place South Africa as a regional CSP power house.
The project is due for completion in December 2015 and has enabled creation of up to 1000 jobs, opportunities for small businesses and operational services once the power plant is fully complete.
Aside from the CSP project, Acwa Power has other three major projects in South Africa with a capacity of over 1000MW.
The project will help solve pressing problems in power in the country. South Africa has also invested in other projects to curb power problems, including its projections for having a nuclear power plant and initiatives such as plans to buy power from Congo’s Inga Dam.
