The 100-megawatt Redstone Concentrated Solar Thermal Power (CSP) Plant, constructed by Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), has been successfully connected to the grid in South Africa.
This project is the first tower-based molten salt CSP plant at the south of the Sahara Desert and the largest investment project in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province.
An aerial view of the 100-megawatt Redstone Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Plant [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The project has generated over 600 jobs locally, with around 1,800 workers employed during the construction peak, contributing significantly to the local economy and social development.
The plant adopts advanced tower-based molten salt storage technology, with 41,260 heliostats installed on-site. The mirrors precisely reflect sunlight onto the solar tower’s heat receiver, heating the molten salt from around 290 degrees Celsius to approximately 565 degrees. The heated molten salt is stored in specially designed tanks, allowing the unit to run at full capacity for up to 12 hours, ensuring continuous power generation overnight.
The project will supply 480 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity to South Africa’s power grid annually, meeting the electricity needs of around 200,000 households. It will significantly reduce reliance on traditional fossil fuels and lower local carbon emissions, making a vital contribution to South Africa’s energy transition.
(Executive editor: Zhu Zeya)
