The Redstone Solar Thermal Power Plant in the Northern Cape is now officially connected to the national grid.
The South Africa Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the contract to develop the concentrated solar plant (CSP) project to the consortium of SolarReserve and ACWA Power, in January 2015. The contract was awarded under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) initiated by the DOE.
The 100 MW solar plant has the capacity to produce 480 GWh of clean energy annually, enough to power 200 000 homes and offset 440 000 tonnes of CO₂ each year. It has a lifespan of more than 30 years.
The molten salt solar thermal power plant has been described as a game-changer for clean energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the first tower CSP project in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Located in Postmasburg, Northern Cape Province, it is one of the most massive renewable energy investment projects in the country and attained its first partial grid synchronisation in September 2024.
The CSP plant adopts advanced tower-based molten salt storage technology, with 41 260 heliostats installed on-site. The mirrors precisely reflect sunlight onto the 248-metre-high solar tower’s heat receiver, heating the molten salt from around 290°C to ~565°C.
The heated molten salt is stored in specially designed tanks, allowing the unit to run at full capacity for up to 12 hours, ensuring continuous power generation overnight.
The project has generated over 600 jobs locally, with around 1 800 workers employed during the construction peak, contributing significantly to the local economy and social development.
Additionally, more than 400 local engineers and technicians have received training, enhancing the overall skill of the local workforce through knowledge and expertise sharing.
The CSP plant will significantly reduce reliance on traditional fossil fuels, making a vital contribution to the country’s just energy transition.
It is located in close proximity to the 96MW Jasper and the 75MW Lesedi photovoltaic (PV) solar power projects developed by SolarReserve under the REIPPPP. The three projects together become the first combined CSP and PV solar park in the world, with a total generating capacity of 271MW.
