The 240-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) power plant, built by China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd (Energy China), began commercial operations on March 4 in the town of Noorport in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province. It is the largest single-site PV power plant built by a Chinese enterprise in South Africa and a landmark of the clean energy cooperation between the two countries.
The 240-megawatt photovoltaic power plant in the town of Noorport in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province, built by China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd, commences commercial operations on March 4. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The power plant is supported by a full suite of infrastructure, such as a step-up substation, switching stations and transmission lines. Upon commissioning, it is expected to generate about 700 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and reduce nearly 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. It will help South Africa to optimize its energy supply structure and achieve low-carbon transformation, thereby injecting momentum into local economic and social development.
To address several challenges during construction, such as complicated climate, tight schedule and the incompatibility with local supply chains, the project team from Energy China formulated scientific construction plans to complete the task on time and ensure the project’s quality and safety.
The power plant’s operation will expand China-South Africa cooperation in clean energy and promote trade and economic collaboration between the two countries.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
