The Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Independent power project located in the Northern Cape of South Africa which was a venture by Acwa Power is set to start operations in 2016. The molten salt project which has a capacity of 50MW is currently in the commissioning stage.
This new project comes falls under the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme and will allow enough energy to be stored up during the day to be used after sunset for consistent supply of electricity during the peak hours.
According to Acwa power, this power plant has adopted the largest storage capacity of 1300MWh which is an equivalent of up to 9 hours of operation. This factor allows the plant to be the only renewable technology at commercial scale that will meet South Africa’s peak electricity demand thus preventing load shedding.
The solar power plant will enable the generation of solar energy by its 658 000m2 reflector area which will be fed in to the Garona substation which is part of Eskom on a power purchase agreement of 20 years.
According to Mohammed Abunayyan, the Chairperson for Acwa Power, the project will allow delivery of electricity on low cost and will allow the enhancement of socioeconomic development and growth.
Over 1100 local jobs were created by the Bokpoort project on construction. 390 of these jobs were for the surrounding community while it’s expected that over 50 permanent jobs would be created when the power plant is fully operational.
Locals were allowed to become shareholders in the company with high level broad based black companies being allowed to participate too.
