France is to lend €100-million (R1.3-billion) to South African state company Eskom to help finance a 100 megawatt (MW) concentrated solar power plant near Upington in the Northern Cape.
The basic design work for Eskom’s 100 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) demonstration project is nearing completion.
Invest in Africa Energy would partner with energy business Nomac to operate and maintain the mooted Bokpoort concentrating solar power project in the Northern Cape.
The deal report analyses Eskom Holdings Limited’s project financing of $365m secured from the World Bank and African Development Bank.
Eskom has issued a request for information (RFI) to test supplier-market interest for the design, supply and installation of the 100 MW concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) plant.
The 5 000 MW solar park, which government is planning to build near Upington in the sun-drenched Northern Cape, would have some of the best solar resources in the world, the Stellenbosch University said.
Eskom is “reasonably confident” that it will commission its 100 MW concentrated solar power (CSP) demonstration plant in the Northern Cape, by 2016, technology and planning manager Barry MacColl said on Monday.
This will support South Africa's national electricity utility, Eskom, in implementing a $1.3 billion renewable energy project introducing concentrated solar power to sub-Sahara Africa and the first wind farm to South Afr
The funds will be used for financing Sere, the 100 MW project which the parastatal plans in the Western Cape and a planned 100 MW concentrating solar power project in the Northern Cape.
"I am happy to inform this august sitting that the African Development Bank approved a US$365m loan to Eskom for the 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power Plant and the 100 MW Wind Power Plant," Gigaba said on Wednesday.
Eskom recently announced that it would establish a renewable energy focused division, called the Eskom Renewables Business, which would be operational from April 1.
State-owned Eskom, which is spending billions of dollars to build and upgrade existing coal-fired power plants, wants to diversify the energy mix of Africa's largest economy towards cleaner sources such as solar power an
