Cameto completes the Bokpoort solar thermal plant, its first project in South Africa

The inauguration of the Bokpoort Thermosolar Plant, in the Northern Cape region of South Africa, has put the finishing touch to Cameto’s first foray into South Africa.

The engineering and boilermaking company has delivered its work in a timely manner, thus contributing to the completion of one of the most relevant energy projects in the African country.

A total of 90 Cameto workers have participated in the development of this project, in which the company has scrupulously complied with the requirements and quality committed to the construction consortium formed by the Spanish companies Acciona, Sener and TSK, in addition to the South African company Crowie. .

This is the Bokpoort Thermosolar Plant

The Bokpoort Solar Thermal Plant stands near the town of Upington, in the Kalahari Desert in the Northern Cape region. This is a turnkey project developed for the Saudi group ACWA Power in which more than 300 million euros have been invested.

The Bokpoort solar thermal plant was put into operation with a capacity of 55 gross MW and its annual production is expected to exceed 230 net GWh. All this energy can guarantee the electrical supply of some 54,000 homes and will mean saving 57,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Record electricity supply from a solar thermal plant in Africa

The Bokpoort plant has begun its journey by setting a new record for continuous supply of renewable electricity. During the first weeks of operation, the thermoelectric plant produced electricity uninterruptedly for a period of 161 hours, which is equivalent to almost six days.

Although solar thermal plants are an intermittent source of energy that supplies electricity during daylight hours, Bokpoort’s design allows it to continue supplying electricity for hours after the sun has set.

The molten salt energy storage facility that it incorporates can accumulate 9.3 hours of electricity production. This makes Bokpoort the largest capacity electrical energy storage facility on the African continent.