Photo by: Dylan Slater
The 100 MW XiNa Solar One concentrated solar power plant was officially inaugurated by Energy Minister Jeff Radebe last month. The plant, which is located near Pofadder, in the Northern Cape, uses parabolic-trough technology (pictured) to generate dispatchable power from the sun. To produce electricity during the evening peak and after the sun goes down, the facility incorporates a thermal energy storage system that uses molten salts to store the energy collected during the day for a further five-and-a-half hours’ supply.