Feature: Chinese-built solar plant helps bring South Africa on track toward renewable energy

CAPE TOWN, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Upon arriving at Postmasburg, a town in the Northern Cape Province in South Africa, one may be pretty amazed by a towering structure that heaves into view.

Enveloping this nearly 100-story-high tower are thousands of large rectangular mirrors, strategically positioned to capture the sun's rays and redirect them towards the pinnacle of the tower. Collectively, these mirrors resemble a colossal sunflower, symbolically blossoming on the soil of the vibrant "Rainbow Nation."

This is the 100 MW Redstone Concentrated Solar Thermal Power (CSP) Project being built by SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corporation, a subsidiary of POWERCHINA. It is not only the first CSP project in sub-Saharan Africa, but also one of the largest renewable energy investment projects in South Africa.

The mirrors, known as heliostats, are designed to accurately follow the sun's trajectory and redirect sunlight towards a designated focal point, such as the central receiver atop the tower, said Xie Yanjun, chief engineer of the project.

"Eventually, the 248-meter-high tower will be surrounded by over 40,000 heliostats arranged in concentric circles," he told Xinhua.

According to Xie, once the project is fully operational, it is projected to generate approximately 480 GWh of electricity annually for the national grid. This substantial output will effectively cater to the power requirements of over 200,000 South African households.

The project's significance, he said, extends beyond addressing the country's power deficit. It will also play a crucial role in expediting South Africa's transition towards renewable energy sources.

Mthoko Ngidi, project manager of its South African partner, highlighted the project's contribution to local employment, with over 2,500 jobs created in South Africa and 650 of the jobs taken by employees from the local community, fostering economic growth within the region.

On top of that more than 400 local engineers and technicians have received training, thereby enhancing the overall skill of the local workforce through knowledge and expertise sharing.

In 2021 when the Redstone project was launched, Gloria Kgoronyane founded a local cleaning company with just two employees. Since being subcontracted by SEPCOIII to provide cleaning services for the project, her business has been growing. Currently, her company employs a team of 18 individuals, indicating her business expansion and increased demand for their services.

Kgoronyane is thankful for the opportunities offered by the Redstone project. She explains that before working there, she was jobless and had nothing. Now, she has a firm that has created employment opportunities for people in the community.

Sharing a similar sentiment, Simone Xengana, who started as a grassroots employee and has been working for the Redstone project for over three years, is now the HR manager of the project.

The project, she said, has boosted her professional growth, providing opportunities for career advancement. Moreover, she appreciates how the project has allowed her to contribute to her community by creating employment opportunities and facilitating professional development for others.

"It also assisted me to further my studies and take part in seminars and workshops that are required by my professional board. So when I exit Redstone, I will be on a much higher level than I was when I entered," said Xengana. "So the Redstone project did not just develop me as a professional, but it was a life-changing experience."

"Professionally I have significantly gained experience within the renewable energy sector, which previously I did not have," said Bryce Muller, a quality inspector at the Redstone project.

"Renewable energy is the way forward. It is the future," said Muller, a former worker at coal-fired power plants.

"In terms of my personal capacity, it has now given me a sense of upliftment," he said.

Ngidi said that the project will be synchronized onto the national grid in early September, when the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is held in Beijing.

Optimistic about the results of the summit, Ngidi said "understanding that South Africa is on a just transition in terms of investing a lot in energy ... China, being a world leader in terms of building renewable energy, is sitting in a very advantageous position in terms of participating."