Concentrated solar power plant on track for 2023 commissioning
South Africa, Northern Cape: One of the first project-financed concentrated solar power (CSP) projects in the world is on track for a late 2023 commissioning.
Image source: ESI Africa
South Africa, Northern Cape: One of the first project-financed concentrated solar power (CSP) projects in the world is on track for a late 2023 commissioning.
Awarded to ACWA Power and SolarReserve in 2015 under South Africa’s REIPPP programme bid window 3.5 – which was specifically created for CSP (with molten salt central receiver) projects – the Redstone Concentrated Solar Power Project will produce 480,000 MW of clean energy annually. The project was signed in 2018 and started construction in May 2021.
At $162.5 M (R11.6 B) total investment, the Redstone project near the town of Postmasburg in the Northern Cape is the largest renewable energy investment in South Africa to date. The plant should have an operational life of more than 30 years. With 12 hours of full-load energy storage, it will be able to reliably deliver a stable electricity supply to more than 200,000 households.
Redstone CSP has facilitated approximately $98 M (R7 B) in foreign direct investment to fund and support the strategic energy transition goals of the country. ACWA Power’s co-shareholders in the project include the Central Energy Fund, Pele Green Energy and the local community.
US-based solar power company Brightsource Energy has appointed The Timken Company as the provider of advanced precision drives for the Redstone Solar Thermal Power Project in the Northern Cape.
Timken’s solar-tracking technology, developed by its Cone Drive business, will properly position the Redstone project’s heliostat mirrors to reflect the sun’s rays. The CSP facility will store the thermal energy it collects in molten salt and then convert it to electricity for delivery day or night.
Kurt Gamelin, Cone Drive president said they have been working side-by-side with solar power providers and developers to create innovative technology and solutions. “These close partnerships lead to enhanced performances, extended product life and reliable operations for the customers we serve.”
The other project awarded under bid window 3.5 was Kathu CSP Park in the Kalahari Desert which officially launched in 2019. It feeds 100 MW into the national grid, using parabolic trough technology and supplies 179,000 households.
Source: ESI Africa