- Mr Nandu Bhula, country manager for ACWA Power, reports that Redstone Solar Thermal CSP Power Plant (Redstone CSP) is now officially in full commercial operations having started grid synchronisation in September last year.
- The 100MW dispatchable plant with 1200 MWh storage is expected to contribute around 500 GWh per year to the national grid.
- At ZAR 11.6 billion total investment, the Redstone project is the largest renewable energy investment in South Africa to date.
Located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, the Redstone plant is equipped with a 12-hour thermal storage system that will deliver clean and reliable electricity to nearly 200,000 households round the clock.
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Redstone CSP will displace an estimated 440 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. The project is certified under the Climate Bonds Standard and Certification Scheme and aligned with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement which seeks to limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius.
As part of its implicit social contract, Redstone CSP will provide value-adding ancillary services required by the system operator at no cost to the local public utility Eskom, which marks a first for a renewable energy plant in the country.
Image credit: ACWA Power
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
