abengoa

Khi Solar One is Africa's first concentrated solar power plant. Situated outside of Upington in the Northern Cape, the 140-hectare plant will produce 50 megawatts of power by using 4 200 concave mirrors to reflect and concentratea large area of sunlight onto a small area on a 205 metre tower.

 

As the world's economic leaders gather in Switzerland for the annual World Economic Forum, Team South Africa prepares to tell a story of innovation and skills development focused on boosting employment and pushing the country ahead of the pack in the emerging economies.

Kathu Solar Park and Redstone Solar Thermal Power will each add 100MW capacity to the electricity grid. Concentrated solar thermal power is able to store solar power generated the day, meaning they will continue to supply energy at night. They add to the five plants already commissioned.

It looks like something from a sci-fi film, with its massive tower and thousands of wall-like solar mirrors set in an arid and deserted landscape. But Khi Solar One, Africa's first concentrated solar power project, is a very real example of the future of renewable energy.

Spanish group Abengoa has completed construction of the tower section of South Africa's first concentrating solar power plant, one of three CSP plants being developed in the Northern Cape that will add 200 MW of renewable energy to the country's national grid.