The ACWA Solafrica Bokpoort CSP Power Plant is now fully functional and supplying clean electricity to thousands of homes in South Africa.
Bokpoort CSP has an installed capacity of 50 MW, plus two thermal energy storage (TES) tanks measuring 36/40 meters diameter and a height of 18 meters.
The tanks hold molten salt capable of providing 9.3 hours of operation (1,300 MWht) during the night and under other unfavourable conditions. Bokpoort is the world’s first commercial utility-scale CSP plant of its class to incorporate more than nine hours of storage.
The facility is a parabolic trough based system. Sunlight hits the highly polished collectors and is reflected and concentrated on a tube containing a heat transfer fluid sitting above the collectors. The heat is then delivered to the thermal energy storage system or used directly to create steam to power a turbine.
Electricity from the plant is being sold under a 20 year Power Producer Agreement between the ACWA Power-led consortium that developed Bokpoort and South Africa’s Department of Energy and ESKOM.
Other consortium members included Crowie Concessions, Acciona, TSK and Sener. The project has been constructed under the South African Government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme.
“We are delighted to have achieved this milestone in such a short period‚” said Nandu Bhula‚ the CEO of Bokpoort CSP Plant. “Construction only began in June 2013 and for the plant to be supplying much needed power at full load in 30 months is a remarkable achievement.”
South Africa has suffered energy shortages for some years; the after-effects of attempted privatisation of Eskom in the late 1990’s. During that time, requests for funds to build new stations were rejected; leading to an energy supply deficit.
Solar and wind power is now playing a critical role in a more secure and cleaner energy future in South Africa.
Among the other providers contributing to South Africa’s solar revolution is SunEdison, Inc. (NYSE:SUNE). Earlier this year, the company was awarded an 86 megawatt solar PV project situated south of Kimberly in the Northern Cape Province. At that time, the company had already developed 130 MW of utility scale and commercial solar power across the nation.
