Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Bokpoort plant in the Northern Cape to be completed by end-2015

Acwa Power noted that the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project, which was this week visited by Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies, would be equipped with the largest solar thermal storage ever adopted for a concentrating solar power plant of this class, to date, with a capacity of 9.3 hours.

This would enable the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant to generate record-high energy during the day and night, producing in excess of 230 GWh a year.

The construction phase of the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)project had created 1000 jobs, while 50 permanent employment opportunities were expected to be created during the operational life of the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) facility.

Opportunities for small local businesses to meet the facility’s operational services requirements would also emerge as the plant became fully operational.

Acwa Power Southern Africa business director Chris Ehlers noted that the wider Southern African CSP industry required long-term certainty to attract future CSP supply chain investment into the country and to increase local content above its current levels.

“With a yearly installation volume of more than 200 MW of CSP capacity over the next decade, we will attract further engineering and manufacturing scope, which enables us to grow local knowledge and local competence further. Southern Africa is well placed to become a regional CSP powerhouse over the long term,” he commented.

Ehlers, meanwhile, confirmed that, besides its CSP project, Acwa Power had started development of three other major projects in Southern Africa, representing a total capacity of over 1000 MW.