Specialist Local Recruitment In Africa

In the first half of September 2013, the 50 MW De Aar Solar Power installed its final solar panel.

Solar De AAr Solar Park Overview

In the first half of September 2013, the 50 MW De Aar Solar Power installed its final solar panel. Located 6 km outside the town of De Aar on land owned by the Emthanjeni Municipality in the Northern Cape. The project covers an estimated 90 hectares and will generate about 50 MW of clean renewable power using solar energy. Over 167,000 solar panels was installed on the project. It is one of the few independent power producers (IPPs) of this scale, to reach this construction target in the Northern Cape area of South Africa.

Savva Antoniadis (project manager for De Aar Solar Power):

“We’ve installed exactly 167 580 solar panels by hand since April 2013,”

The 50MW De Aar solar park was submitted to Round 1 of the South African Government’s Renewable Energy Procurement Programme as part of a consortium. The project was awarded preferred bidder status by the Department under the programme. It reached commercial operation date in early April, 2014. The solar power project generates 85 458 MWh per year, supplying enough clean, renewable electrical energy to power more than 19 000 South African homes. The facility feeds into the 132kV Eskom distribution system. De Aar Solar Power has signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with Eskom.

De Aar Solar Power is majority owned by Globeleq and its consortium partners, Mainstream Renewable Power South Africa, Thebe Investment Corporation, the Rebuna Litsasi Trust, Enzani Technologies and Usizo Engineering.

Engineering, procurement and construction contractor: Siemens (will provide maintenance services for the first five years of operation). Construction: Mainstream Construction. The project company: Globeleq.

Solar power has emerged as the most cost effective way to jump start investment into renewable energy solutions. South Africa is much smaller than the rest of the world when it comes to largest photovoltaic power stations. The Topaz Solar Farm in the US produces 500MW of nominal power (compared to South Africa’s 85MW), while the Longyangxia Dam Solar Park in China produces 320MW.

Environmental Benefits:

Solar power is a clean, renewable electrical energy source. There are many environmental benefits of solar energy, including:

• Use of solar generation reduces the reliance on traditional power plants.
• Zero CO2 emissions
• Solar power generation does not consume any water
• Sunshine is plentiful and renewable

Read More …..

Read More….

A solar power plant in South Africa constructed by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA has been launched. Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa was developed by a group of companies led by ACWA Power.

A solar power plant in South Africa constructed by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA has been launched. Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa was developed by a group of companies led by ACWA Power.

The 50 MW project was the only CPS plant selected in the second round of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Program (REIPPP). The project was rated third worldwide and is the first in a series of investments rolled out by ACWA Power in the South African mainly targeting power sector.

The company is also expected to start on the construction of a 100MW Redstone Concentrated solar power project in the Northern Cape again later this year. It is also waiting results of tender submissions for a 300MW coal-powered plant in Mpumalanaga.

Read More….

Largest solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant to be built in Africa, this could spark a renewable energy revolution in West Africa.

Largest solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant to be built in Africa, this could spark a renewable energy revolution in West Africa. The giant 155-megawatt Nzema project will be one of the biggest in the world – only three solar PV plants in operation today are bigger. This will increase Ghana’s generating capacity by at least 6%. Ghana has a traget of generating at least 10% of its electricity from renewable power generation by the year 2020. At a cost of $350 million the Nzema project will be fully operational by 2017. Many other renewable energy power plants and projects are planned in the West African region. Nzeme Solar PV plant is the first project to get unerway under Ghana’s 2011 Renewable Energy Act.

More than 630 000 solar PV modules will be installed at the site once construction begins.

ECONOMIC GROWTH PROSPECTS

The Nzema project is well situated with excellent solar radiation and access to major road systems. There will be a direct connections to the West African Power Pool 161kV tranmission line. This transmission line linkes Ghana to Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Ivory Coast and is under utelised.

Hydro Electricity Power Generation

Hydroelectric power is the source of most of Ghana’s electricity. Unfortenatly hydroelectric generation is very vulnerable to droughts. The government has set a target of more than doubling its installed capacity, from 2600 MW today to 5500MW by 2015. The Renewable Energy Act is a key part of this strategy and enjoys all party political support.

THE LONG TERM OPPORTUNITY

Africa is ideally placed to take advantage of solar energy, but up to now it has failed to take off for a variety of reasons including unsupportive regulatory environments, energy underpricing, lack of technical capacity and a weak supply chain.

Read More …..