ESKOM is currently assessing in the course of the research programme SABRE-Gen (launched 1998) the commercial feasibility of using CSP for large-scale, grid-connected generation in South Africa. After the screening of fourteen CSP technologies, two (solar trough and central receiver) were identified as possible nearterm options. The review included financial analyses and performance simulations for a 100 MW solar-only configuration.

The prefeasibility analysis was followed by a study determining the possibility of locally manufacturing key technology components in South Africa, while assessing the impact of this local supply on the expected capital cost. The study indicated that the most significant cost reductions could be realized with the central receiver technology because of south african industry wasn’|t geared to manufacture troughs for a one-off plant, without guarantees for further plants.


The feasibility assessment phase, focusing on a solar only, 100 MW molten salt-type central receiver was subsequently completed in January 2003. The analysis indicated that the proposed 100 MW plant, located in South Africa’s Northern Cape province, could be a significant step forwards towards the commercialization of this technology. The Northern Cape has, with a anual solar radiation up to 9500 MJ/m²,  one of the best solar resource areas in the world. Areas of excellent solar resource in South Africa amounts to approximately 194 000 km².

The proposed 100 MW Northern Cape plant will have about 4 000 to 5 000 heliostats, each measuring about 140 m². A site of about five square kilometres will be required. The receiver tower will be 90 m to 170 m high.

The CSP capital cost is estimated to be R24 000 a kilowatt, compared to R10 000 a kilowatt for a new coal-fired plant, but this excludes fuel costs over the life of the plant of which there are none for a CSP plant. Based on this, electricity will cost about 36c a kilowatt-hour, which equates to the cost of wind generation. ESKOM believes that 90% of the CSP plant could be manufactured locally, which will pull the costs down substantially.