Redstone Solar Thermal Power

Redstone Solar Thermal Power
Location of Redstone Solar Thermal Power in South Africa
Country	South Africa
Location	Postmasburg, Northern Cape Province
Coordinates
Status	Proposed
Construction began	2015 (scheduled)
Commission date	2018 (planned)
Construction cost	$715 million
Owner(s)	ACWA Power
Solar field
Type	CSP
CSP technology	Solar power tower
Power generation
Units planned	1
Nameplate capacity	100 MW
Capacity factor	54%
Storage capacity	12 hours
Annual generation	480 GW·h
Website solarreserve.com

Redstone Solar Thermal Power (RSTP) is a planned solar power tower solar thermal power plant, located in Postmasburg, near Kimberley, in the Northern Cape Region of South Africa. Redstone Solar Thermal Power is 100 megawatts (MW), and will be the first solar tower plant with molten salt energy storage in Africa. The project is based on the technology used in Solar Reserve's Crescent Dunes project in the US

In January 2015, the South Africa Department of Energy awarded the RSTP project to a consortium led by SolarReserve and the Arabian Company for Water and Power Development (ACWA Power). The project is to achieve financial close at end of 2015 and commence operations in early 2018. Overall project cost is $715 million, and power tariff offered at $124/MW·h.

The RSTP project features a 2-tank direct molten salt energy storage with 12 hours of full-load energy storage, namely 1200 MW·h of equivalent power production, avoiding any backup fuel requirement. The RSTP project is located adjacent the 75 MW Lesedi and 96 MW Jasper photovoltaic solar power projects. Together the three projects comprise a combined CSP ad PV solar park with a total 271 MW of generating capacity.

The RSTP project will create 800 direct jobs during construction, with a planned 30-year operating life.

See also

• List of solar thermal power stations
• List of power stations in South Africa
• Solar thermal energy
• Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project