SOLAR POWER TOWER AND TROUGHS FOR SO AFRICA

Abengoa’s first solar power tower outside Spain to be built in Upington

Terence Creamer, 6 November 2012 (Engineering News)

“Leading renewable-energy group Abengoa, of Spain…has started construction on two solar power projects in South Africa…the 50 MW Khi Solar One power-tower concentrating solar power (CSP) project…[and] a 100 MW parabolic trough CSP plant, dubbed KaXu Solar One…[Both will be] in the sun-drenched Northern Cape province…[T]he Khi Solar One plant will be only the group’s third commercial power tower and its first outside of Spain.

“Both developments signed long-term power purchase and implementation agreements with Eskom and the Department of Energy respectively on November 5, having been named as preferred projects along with 26 other wind and solar bidders in December last year…during the first bid window of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme [which represents] an investment value of around R47-billion and wind and solar capacity of around 1 415 MW.”

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“The Abengoa projects, which are expected to be operational during 2016, are the only CSP projects selected during the first bidding phase and the documentation released following their selection indicates total costs of R11.4-billion for the development of the two projects…[Abengoa] is partnering with the State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and will build, operate and maintain the plants – Abengoa owns 51% of the project, the IDC 29%, while black economic–empowerment entities own the 20% balance.

“Both Khi Solar One and KaXu Solar One will employ dry-cooling technology, to reduce water consumption and will incorporate storage capacity – about two hours in the case of Khi and three hours for KaXu…[Abengoa said] the projects would reduce South Africa’s yearly carbon dioxide emissions by about 498 000 t and will create about 1 400 local construction jobs and 70 permanent operational jobs.”

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