South Africa's Solar Shift: Northern Cape Leads with Three Giant Plants
South Africa is gradually transitioning away from coal, with the Northern Cape province leading the shift towards solar power. The region's sunny climate has attracted Spanish company Abengoa to build three concentrated solar power plants, which generate electricity using solar heat and store energy for later use.
Completed between 2015 and 2017, Khi Solar One, KaXu Solar One, and Xina Solar One have brought significant benefits to the Northern Cape. Despite being more expensive than wind or solar-panel energy, solar thermal technology offers a stable and predictable power supply. These plants can generate enough electricity to power nearly a million people, almost the entire population of the Northern Cape.
The project has also created employment opportunities in a province with high youth unemployment. The first plant, Khi Solar One, has provided about 80 permanent and 1,700 temporary jobs. The other two plants, KaXu Solar One and Xina Solar One, have created a further 45 permanent and 2,300 temporary jobs combined.
The Northern Cape's successful solar projects serve as a model for attracting private sector funds to boost large-scale clean energy projects in Africa. They align with South Africa's commitment to reduce climate-changing emissions by 2030, as per the Paris Agreement. The region's sunny conditions make it an ideal location for replicating such projects in other areas of South Africa.
Read also:
- Strategic approach to eco-friendly nickel production for electric vehicles in Europe
- Solar energy company, Imperium, alongside QORAY Mobility & Energies Solar Business, bolsters Nigeria's environmental future by producing superior solar panels domestically and offering flexible payment options.
- AI Inspection Company, Zeitview, Secures $60 Million Funding for Expansion
- Importance of Battery Management Systems: Overseeing and Optimizing Energy Storage Functionality
