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Solar power in South Africa

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2010 South African Solar Challenge

Installed capacity of Solar power in South Africa is expected to reach 8,400 MW by 2030, along with 8,400 MW of wind power.[1]

Potential

Solar insolation

South Africa's insolation greatly exceeds the average values in Europe, Russia, and most of North America.[2]

Plants - operational and projected

See also: List of power stations in South Africa

A 5,000 MW solar park is planned for Upington.[1] A 50 MW concentrated photovoltaics power plant is planned for Touwsrivier, in Western Cape, South Africa.[3] A 75 MW solar power plant started production on September 13, 2013 in Kalkbult, in the Northern Cape (implemented by Scatec). Two other PV plants will be completed by the same company in 2014. These are located at Linde in the Northern Cape and Dreunberg in the Eastern Cape, both sun drenched regions boasting some of the best conditions for solar power in the world. Altogether, these 3 plants will provide power for around 90,000 South African households.

Sonnedix and Juwi have announced that they will construct an 86 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Northern Cape province. The Mulilo Sonnedix plant in Prieska plant will be larger than any PV plant currently on line in the African continent, and was awarded through the third round of the South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP). Financial close on the project is targeted for July 2014, with commissioning planned for the second half of 2015.

A consortium led by ACWA Power International (Saudi Arabia) has completed financing and begun construction on a 50 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) project in South Africa's Northern Cape. The Bokpoort CSP project includes 9.3 hours of thermal energy storage, which will allow it to meet demand during peak hours between 5 and 9 PM. ACWA describes this system as the largest thermal storage system ever built for a CSP plant of its size and capacity.

Two CSP plants are being built by Abengoa in the Northern Cape. Khi Solar One is a Solar Tower plant of 50 MW capacity near Upington and Kaxu Solar One is a Parabolic Trough plant of 100 MW capacity near Pofadder with storage capability for 3 hours.

Solar Thermal Energy

See also: Solar thermal energy

The South African government requires renewable energy to replace 10,000 GWh of electricity by 2013. The Department of Energy estimates that 23% of this target can be met through solar water heating and Eskom is therefore actively encouraging consumers to switch to solar water heating.[4]

Statistics

Year Photovoltaics
(MWp)		 CSP
(MWp)
2011 1
2012 41

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Solar energy in South Africa
  2. ^ Insolation maps, retrieved April 14, 2012
  3. ^ Soitec funded for 50MW solar power plant in South Africa
  4. ^ "Solar Water Heating Rebate Programme" (PDF). Retrieved 24 August 2013.
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