Construction has started on the Redstone Concentrated Solar Power Project (CSP) near Postmasburg in the Northern Cape, in what will be one of the latest solar plants on the continent.
The planned 100 megawatt (MW) plant will provide electricity to 200 000 households when complete and will be the first of its kind to be developed in Africa.
The Redstone CSP generates solar power using mirrors, or heliostats, to concentrate sunlight onto a 250m tall tower called the receiver, which uses molten salt as a storage medium.
This technology will enable the plant to store thermal energy for 12 hours, allowing for electricity to be generated through the night.
This new technology will enable the plant to produce 480 000 MW of clean energy a year, offsetting a large amount of carbon emissions.
The project will cost R11.6 billion of total investment, and it is the largest renewable energy source in South Africa to date. When complete, Redstone CSP will provide an ancillary service to Eskom.
Picture: Pexels
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