Green cooperation speeds up South Africa's steps in energy transition

BEIJING, Aug. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: "Just a bit further ahead, and we'll be able to see our solar tower," said Li Quanxiang, project manager of the 100-megawatt Redstone Concentrated Solar Thermal Power, a solar power tower with molten salt energy storage in South Africa's Northern Cape province, when a massive gray-white tower gradually came into view as his car drove through the vast desert.

The project, built by SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of PowerChina, is the first molten salt solar thermal project in sub-Saharan Africa.

"The solar tower is nearly 250 meters tall, about the height of a 100-story building. At the very top is a heat collection device, which absorbs sunlight reflected from mirrors on the ground. Solar energy is converted into thermal energy, which is then transformed into electrical power," Li said.

It is learned that the project has a designed capacity of 100 megawatts. It is expected to supply 480 gigawatt-hours of electricity to South Africa's power grid annually, providing electricity to 200,000 South African households.

"This project is the largest investment in the Northern Cape province and is part of South Africa's renewable energy procurement program. It has strategic significance for achieving South Africa's energy transition goals," said Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul

He said that the project has created over 600 direct jobs for the local community, with employment reaching its highest point at about 1,800 workers during construction, making a significant contribution to local economic and social development.

The 100-megawatt Redstone Concentrated Solar Thermal Power project is an epitome of the deepening energy cooperation between China and South Africa. During his visit to the project, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that the Chinese enterprise has achieved world-leading standards in engineering quality and technological advancements, and the smooth progress of the project will bring significant benefits to the South African people.

South Africa isn't just rich in solar resources; it also has enormous potential for wind power generation. According to estimates, over 80 percent of South Africa's territory enjoys the natural conditions for wind power development. The eastern and southern coastal areas, in particular, are prime locations for wind power projects and have become pioneering sites for wind energy cooperation between China and South Africa.

Goldwind, a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, entered the South African market in 2015. Since then, the company has built and been operating two wind power projects in the Eastern Cape Province. With a total installed capacity of 152.5 megawatts, these projects supply green, clean electricity to 155,000 South African households annually.

In 2017, the De Aar wind power project, developed by the South African subsidiary of China's Longyuan Power, began operations in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is the first wind power project in Africa invested, built and operated by a Chinese power company.

According to engineer Liu Lei of the project, these wind turbines have a main tower height of 80 meters and a rotor blade diameter of 86 meters. The project comprises a total of 163 turbines. With an average annual power generation of 760 million kilowatt-hours, the project supplies electricity to thousands of South African households.

As a landmark achievement of China-South Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, the De Aar wind power project not only supports local economic and social development with green electricity but also maintains the local ecological balance through environmentally friendly practices.

During a visit to the wind farm, the reporter noticed springboks appearing intermittently in the distance and eagles occasionally circling in the sky. A local said, "At the top of each power pole, we've installed perches for birds to reduce the harm that transmission equipment might cause to them. The company conducts long-term monitoring of animals and plants within the wind farm and hires ecological experts for assessments to ensure the project's sustainable development."

"The De Aar wind power project is a flagship project showcasing win-win cooperation between South Africa and China in the new energy sector," said the house chairperson for committees at the National Assembly of South Africa ,Cedric Thomas Frolick .

He added, "South Africa is expanding its renewable energy development and enhancing its green energy supply capacity. We hope Chinese companies will leverage their technological and innovative advantages to actively participate in the construction of new energy projects in South Africa."

"Looking ahead, cooperation in new energy sector is likely to become a new area of growth and highlight in the economic and trade relations between our two countries," said Chen Xiaodong, former Chinese Ambassador to South Africa.

He emphasized that China and South Africa share common development needs and have strong complementary advantages in the new energy sector, which enables them to be reliable friends and strong partners in each other's economic and social transformation.

"The various collaborations in the energy sector exemplify the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between South Africa and China, and also serve as evidence of the continuously deepening relationship between the two countries," said Paul Zilungisele Tembe, a South African expert on Chinese affairs.

"South Africa is one of the African countries with the largest stock of Chinese investment. China has invested a total of over $25 billion in South Africa, creating more than 400,000 jobs. I believe that as cooperation continues to deepen, the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will achieve even greater development," the expert noted.

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