Solar Energy

Solar Energy in South Africa

Kathu Solar Park is a 100 MW state-of-the-art Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant, which is located in Kathu, Northern Cape Province. This plant is a prime example of solar energy in Africa, featuring parabolic trough technology and equipped with a molten salt storage system that allows for 4.5 hours of thermal energy storage to provide reliable electricity in the absence of solar radiation and during peak demand. The Kathu site covers approximately 4.5 km², with 384,000 mirrors. The CSP plant delivers energy to 179 000 households and prevents the emission of approximately 261,707.01 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year. Kathu was the first CSP development for ENGIE. Click here to access Kathu Solar Park’s website.

Xina Solar One is a 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant located at Pofadder in the Northern Cape. It provides approximately 400 GWh of clean, sustainable and dispatchable electrical energy to 103,000 South African households – this equates to approximately 31% of households in the Northern Cape – and prevents the emission into the atmosphere of approximately 229,617.32 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year . The plant uses parabolic trough technology to generate renewable, sustainable and dispatchable power from the sun. Furthermore, this solar power plant features a thermal energy storage system that uses molten salts to store the necessary energy for a further 5½ hours supply, and thereby assists in meeting the South African peak demand. This project is a key player in the growth of solar energy in Africa, promoting renewable resources and sustainable development.

The Aggeneys Solar Energy facility is a 46MW solar energy power facility situated near the small town of Aggeneys in the Khai Ma Local Municipality, within the Namakwa District Municipality. This facility consists of 140,640 single-axis tracking polycrystalline silicon PV modules and covers 116 hectares. The project reached its commercial operations date in July 2020 and generates 117 GWh annually, enough to cover the electricity needs of around 39,000 households – which equates to approximately 12% of households in the Northern Cape. The facility offset around 108,391.88 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions annually, contributing to the broader solar energy solution for sustainable power generation.

The Konkoonsies II Solar Energy facility is a 86 MW solar PV project. The project is situated near the small town of Pofadder, in the Khai Ma Local Municipality, within the Namakwa District Municipality in the Northern Cape Province. This solar energy facility consists of 250 160 single-axis tracking polycrystalline silicon PV modules and covers 267 hectares. The project reached its commercial operations date in September 2020 and generates 216.5 GWh per annum, generating enough energy to supply an estimated 73,000 homes in South Africa with clean, sustainable electricity. This equates to approximately 22% of households in the Northern Cape. The facility offsets 192,179.52 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per annum, contributing to the larger solar energy solution in the region.