Name and Location
Bokpoort concentrated solar power (CSP) plant project, Northern Cape, South Africa.

Client
The Bokpoort CSP project will be owned by Acwa Power Solafrica Bokpoort CSP Power Plant, a limited liability company established under South African law,
with Acwa Power as the majority shareholder.

Project Description
The project is a greenfield independent power project, which is to be developed in Grobblershoop, in the Northern Cape, as part of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Bokpoort was selected, with 18 other preferred bids, during the second-window evaluation of the REIPPPP in May 2012.

The Bokpoort CSP facility comprises a solar field, a power block, a thermal-energy storage system and related infrastructure such as grid interconnection, water abstraction and treatment systems. The plant will be equipped with the largest thermal storage facility ever adopted to date for a solar power plant of this class and capacity, with a thermal storage capacity of 1 300 MWh, enough to supply electricity for about 9.3 hours.

The solar field comprises loops of parabolic trough solar collector assemblies that will absorb the heat from the sun. The solar collectors will be capable of heating the heat transfer fluid to up to 393 °C.

The power block consists of a solar steam generator and a steam turbine delivering 50 MW (net).

The thermal-energy storage system consists of two tanks of molten salts.

Value
The development has an estimated cost of R5.05-billion.

Duration
Construction began in June 2013 and was completed in November 2015, when the plant first synchronised  to the national grid. The plant has been supplying much-needed power at full load since December 2015.

Latest Developments
The Bokpoort CSP project was officially inaugurated by Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Commerce and Trade Minister Dr Tawfig Fawzan Alrabiah on March 14.

The engineering, procurement and construction contract for the turnkey project was awarded to a consortium comprising Spain’s Sener Ingeniería y Sistemas, Acciona Infraestructuras, Acciona Ingeniería, TSK Electrónica Y Electricidad and South Africa-based investment company Crowie.

The CSP uses SENERtrough parabolic trough collector technology. The solar field of the plant comprises 180 loops and its yearly production will be more than 230 GWh.

The tariff offered by Acwa Power during the second REIPPPP procurement window was 12% lower than the cap set by government for CSP technology for that round.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
TSK Electrónica Y Electricidad, Acciona Infraestructuras, Acciona Ingeniería, Sener Ingeniería y Sistemas and Crowie Concessions (engineering, procurement and construction), Nomac (operation and maintenance), Investec Bank and ABSA Bank (debt funding) and Mott MacDonald (lender’s technical adviser).

On Budget and on Time?
The CSP plant reached full operation capacity ahead of schedule in December 2015.

Contact Details for Project Information
Acwa, tel +966 1 283 5555 or fax +966 1 283 5500.
TSK Electrónica Y Electricidad, tel +34 985 13 41 71, fax +34 985 13 42 22 or email grupotsk@grupotsk.com.
Acciona Infraestructuras and Acciona Ingeniería, tel +34 91 663 28 50 or fax +34 91 663 28 51.
Sener Ingeniería y Sistemas, tel +34 932 283 300 or fax +34 932 283 316.
Crowie Concessions, tel +27 11 803 7000 or fax +27 11 803 7111.
Nomac, tel +966 2 614 1702, fax +966 2 651 5556 or email info@nomac.com.
Development Bank of Southern Africa, tel +27 11 313 3911 or fax +27 11 313 3086.
Investec Bank, tel +27 11 286 7000 or fax +27 11 286 7777.
Industrial Development Corporation, tel +27 11 269 3000 or fax +27 11 269 3116.
Mott MacDonald, Tom Smith, tel +44 20 8774 2205 or email tom.smith@mottmac.com.