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BOKPOORT CSP
About Us
Bokpoort CSP is a greenfield Independent Power Project (IPP) which is an integral part of South Africa’s renewable IPP program. The project is developed on a BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) basis with a total power generating capacity of 50 MWe net power output. The project is equipped with the largest thermal storage size ever adopted for a similar operational size providing nine hours of storage and is among the most efficient solar plants in the world.
In May 2012, a consortium led by ACWA Power was announced as the preferred bidder to develop the BOKPOORT CSP Independent Power Project located in the Northern Cape Province, 600 km west of Johannesburg in South Africa. In June 2013, the project achieved financial close and start of construction.
On 23 September 2013, the groundbreaking ceremony for the commencement of construction at the Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power plant was held in the presence of ACWA Power Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan, Mayor Paul Vries, and other Dignitaries in Groblershoop, South Africa.
Power developer ACWA Power Solafrica’s Bokpoort concentrated solar power (CSP) plant reached full operation capacity, ahead of schedule, in December 2015. On 16 March 2016 Trade Ministers from South Africa and Saudi Arabia jointly inaugurated the Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Project, marking the official launch of the R5 billion ($339.93 million) project.
The South African solar power plant has set a new African record (25 March 2016) for the continuous, round-the-clock supply of renewable electricity for 161 hours.
On 29 April 2021 Revego Africa Energy Limited announced a 12% stake in the plant, for R204 million ($14.8 million). Revego is buying the stake from Métier, a South African private equity firm, that manages the Lereko Metier Sustainable Capital fund.
BOKPOORT CSP
What We Believe In
BOKPOORT CSP
Our Values
BOKPOORT CSP
Technology
Bokpoort CSP has a gross capacity of 55 megawatts (MW) and 50 MW net.[7] The solar field covers an area of less than 300 hectares (741 acres). With its 8600 solar collector elements (SCE) the solar field captures the solar energy.
Through the heat transfer fluid (HTF) circulating through large steam generators, the energy is transformed into steam at 103.6 bar and 380 °C. The 50MWe conventional steam turbine will then use the steam flow to generate electricity and two molten salt tanks will store excess heat energy for conversion into electric energy after sunshine hours.
BOKPOORT CSP
Solar Field
The solar field consists out of 180 loops grouped into 8 sub-fields with a total of 8600 SCEs using SENER Trough Technology with Flabeg Glass Mirrors. There are in total 241,920 mirrors installed which have a total of 658,000 m2 of reflective surface.
BOKPOORT CSP
Energy storage
One remarkable feature of the plant is the large energy storage capability. It is the world’s first commercial utility-scale CSP plant to have more than nine hours of storage, which provide the ability to deliver power well after sunset or when power demand is highest, effectively making it a peaking power plant. Bokpoort CSP Owners led by ACWA Power International (Saudi Arabia) describes this system as the largest thermal storage system ever built for a CSP plant of its size and capacity.
The Bokpoort thermal energy storage consists out of one hot and one cold storage tank (each 40 m diameter and 14 m height) filled with 39,100 tons of environmental friendly molten salt (potassium and sodium nitrate).