- The facility, with an installed capacity of 50 MW, is located in the Northern Cape province and is backed by a PPA signed until 2036 guaranteed by the Government of South Africa.
- A solar thermal power plant (concentrated solar plant) with central tower technology and a field of 4,120 heliostats, featuring thermal storage, making it the first solar plant in Africa to operate continuously for 24 hours.
- Cox will maintain the operation and maintenance services of the plant until the end of the PPA (2036).
Cox Group has signed an agreement to acquire 51% of the Khi Solar One solar thermal plant, pending approval from local authorities. The remaining 49% is held by local partners. The project was originally developed by the Spanish company Abengoa, and financed with help from Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and community group, Khi Community Trust.
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The Khi Solar One solar thermal plant is located near the South African town of Upington in the Northern Cape province and is part of the country’s first round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP). A unique solar thermal power plant in the world, featuring central tower technology and a field of heliostats, with a capacity of 50 MW and thermal storage. Khi Solar One began operating in 2016 and is currently one of the leading solar thermal facilities in South Africa, and the first tower plant to become operational on the African continent.
Cox, which has great international recognition for ensuring the highest excellence in the assets it operates, will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the plant until 2036. The operation and maintenance team for the Khi Solar One project consists of 85 people.
Additionally, Cox will implement a program of improvements to optimize the plant’s performance. These improvements will begin in August of this year and are expected to last for 12 months. These actions aim to increase the current annual generation of 100 GWh by more than 30%.
The project has a twenty-year PPA signed with Eskom, the South African public energy company, with a government guarantee expiring in 2036. It is financed through a Project Finance arrangement with South African multilateral institutions (DBSA and IDC) and international institutions (EIB, IFC, FMO, and Proparco).
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
