Electricity and Control June 2021

RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS IN AFRICA

Construction starts on 100 MW Redstone CSP plant

Construction has begun on the ZAR 11.6 billion Redstone concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the Northern Cape. This marks the largest renewable energy investment in South Africa to date. The 100 MW project is scheduled to reach commercial operation in Q4 2023. ACWA Power, a leading Saudi developer, investor and operator of power generation and water desalination plants in 13 countries is the lead shareholder in the Redstone CSP plant. The project has secured financing from leading international and South African financial institutions including the African Development Bank (AfDB), ABSA Bank, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), CDC Group, Nedbank Limited, Nederlandse Financierings- Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), Investec Bank and Sanlam Life Insurance. Through the successful mobilisation of internation- al project finance, Redstone CSP has facilitated some ZAR 7 billion in foreign direct investment to fund and sup- port South Africa’s strategic energy transition goals. ACWA Power’s co-shareholders in the project include the Central Energy Fund, Pele Green Energy and the local community. The Redstone plant will be equipped with a 12-hour thermal storage system that will deliver clean and reliable electricity to nearly 200 000 households round the clock. “ACWA Power is proud to lead the energy transition

ACWA Power was also instrumental in the development of the Bokpoort CSP plant, in the Northern Cape. in countries that are committed to ambitious renewable energy targets to support economic growth and social development. Redstone CSP adds another superlative to our budding record in South Africa, being the largest renewable energy investment to date. As grid links are improved, the ingenuity of the private sector together with the support of experienced finance partners has the potential to spark lasting impact for local communities and address the threats of climate change,” said Paddy Padmanathan, President & CEO of ACWA Power Rajit Nanda, Chief Portfolio Management Officer and Acting Chief Investment Officer of ACWA Power, said, “We

Service works at Tanzania’s Songas Ubungo power plant

GE recently completed service works on four LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbines at the Songas Ubungo Power Plant in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania . Carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic, the work was executed on time and safely, to ensure the continued supply of up to 150 MW of electricity to the national grid.

The service work conducted, which included predictive maintenance with routine parts replacement, also boosted performance and reliability and improved the operational efficiency and flexibility of the power plant. “Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, GE has helped us improve our power generation capabilities,

with its upgrades and maintenance services,” said Dr Michael Mngodo, Songas Plant Manager. “We are pleased that the service interventions were executed on time to the highest standard of safety and quality, increasing the availability and overall reliability of our power plant,” he added. Engineers from FieldCore, GE’s owned field services company, worked with Songas under the established Covid-19 site protocols to ensure the safe completion of the project. The Ubungo power plant provides nearly 12% of the grid-connected power in Tanzania. The gas turbines are equipped with SPRINT (SPRayINTercooling) technology, which increases gas turbine performance,

Recently completed service works at the Songas Ubungo power plant ensure continuing reliable supply of 150 MW of electricity to the Tanzanian grid.

16 Electricity + Control JUNE 2021