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Touwsrivier CPV Solar Project

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Coordinates: 33°24′38″S 19°55′35″E / 33.41056°S 19.92639°E / -33.41056; 19.92639
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Touwsrivier CPV Solar Project
Map
Location of the Touwsrivier CPV Solar Project in South Africa
CountrySouth Africa
LocationTouwsrivier, Western Cape
Coordinates33°24′38″S 19°55′35″E / 33.41056°S 19.92639°E / -33.41056; 19.92639
StatusOperational
Commission dateDecember 2014
Construction costR1 billion (~US$100 million)[1]
OwnersSoitec (20%)
South African Govt (40%)
Pele Energy Group (35%)
Local Community (5%)
OperatorGroup Five Construction
Solar farm
TypeCPV
Power generation
Units operational1500 Soitec CX-S530-II
Nameplate capacity44 MWp, 36 MWAC
Capacity factor23.8% (average 2016-2017)
Annual net output75 GW·h, 160 MW·h/acre
[edit on Wikidata]

Touwsrivier CPV Solar Project is a 44 MWp (36 MWAC) concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) power station located 6 km outside the town of Touwsrivier in the Western Cape of South Africa.[3] The installation reached full capacity in December 2014 and is the second largest operating CPV facility in the world. [4] Electricity produced by the plant is fed into the national grid operated by Eskom under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).[1]

Facility construction details

The facility consists of 1500 dual-axis CX-S530-II solar tracking systems divided into 60 sections.[1] The 25 systems of each section are connected in parallel to a central grid-connected 630kW inverter.[2] Each system supports 12 CX-M500 modules which are each rated to produce 2450 Wp.[5] Each module contains 2,400 fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight 500 times onto multi-junction solar cells, allowing a greater efficiency than other photovoltaic power plants.[6][7]

The facility is sited on 190 hectares near a similar 60 kW CPV pilot plant on the neighbouring Aquila private game reserve.[2] [8] Group Five Construction (Pty) Ltd served as the EPC contractor for the balance of the project.[9] [10] It is the world's largest assembly of Soitec's Concentrix Solar technology.[4][11]

Ownership, funding, and operations

Soitec initiated the project under the South African government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer (REIPP) programme.[12] Construction was financed with a US$100 million (R1 billion) bond special purpose vehicle (SPV) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.[3][13] [14]. The project is owned by Soitec (20%); the Public Investment Corporation, which is the South African Government's employee pension fund (40% through a preferred share structure ); Pele Green Energy (Pty) Ltd (35%); and the Touwsrivier Community Trust (5%).[3][15] Pele Energy also provides oversight of ongoing operation and improvement activities with Group Five Construction.[3][10]

Local community

Like other similar solar projects in South Africa, a profit sharing and investment agreement exists with the local community whereby a share of the profits from the plant are invested in improving the town of Touws River. This includes the construction of a hydroponics farm employing 30 people and upgrades to the town's primary school. [16]. Ongoing maintenance and security operations at the plant also employ about 35 people. [17]

Electricity production

Monthly capacity and production data for grid-connected photovoltaic plants in South Africa are available in aggregate from the Renewable Energy Data and Information Service.[18] Data from individual plants is restricted due to Department of Energy confidentiality protocols. [19]. Electricity production for the Touwsrivier CPV plant has performed near expected targets for the first three years of operation (2015-2017) as summarized in this bond credit rating opinion from Moody's.

Total Annual Generation of CPV1[3][20]
Year Total Annual MW·h
2015 69,204
2016 74,364
2017 75,640

Note that the plant's 44 MWp peak DC production capacity is specified under concentrator standard test conditions (CSTC) of DNI=1000 W/m², AM1.5D, and Tcell=25°C, as per the IEC 62670 standard convention.[21] Plant capacity based on IEC 62670 concentrator standard operating conditions (CSOC) of DNI=900 W/m², AM1.5D, Tambient=20°C, and Wind speed=2m/s is 36MW,[5] and is also the value quoted by several sources as representing the plant's expected AC production capacity (denoted as MWAC).[3][9][10][18] A capacity factor of 0.238 (23.8%) then yields annual production of 75,000 MW·h.
(i.e. Annual production = AC production capacity x capacity factor x 24hours/day x 365days/year)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Projects: Touwsrivier". cpvconsortium.org. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
  2. ^ a b c "Visit of Soitec's Touwsrivier Project". Consulat Général de France au Cap. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Moody's Global Research, CPV Power Plant Credit Opinion, 2018-05-30" (PDF).
  4. ^ a b "List of Project Capacities". cpvconsortium.org. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  5. ^ a b "Soitec Technical Data Sheet" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Optics take center stage in concentrating photovoltaic systems". Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  7. ^ "Concentrator photovoltaics: a mature technology for solar power plants". Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  8. ^ "Aquila Private Game Reserve goes GREEN".
  9. ^ a b "Group Five-Engineering and Construction-Power".
  10. ^ a b c Scholtz, Christoff (29 January 2018). "A solar project in Touwsrivier is powering ahead". www.globalafricanetwork.com. Global Africa Network. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
  11. ^ "Concentrix Technology for Utility-Scale Solar Power Plants" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme". Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "Concentrated solar plant to deliver 22MW". www.iol.co.za. IOL Business Report. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
  14. ^ Runyon, Jennifer (2013-07-05). "Could Utility-Scale Solar Financing with Bonds Be the New Normal?". Renewable Energy World. Vol. 16, no. 3. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  15. ^ "PIC acquires power plant". www.fin24.com. News24. 2018-04-13. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  16. ^ "Touwsriver school to use solar power after being taken off the power grid". www.iol.co.za. The Star. Retrieved 2018-12-22.
  17. ^ "At the gates". www.energy.org.za/. Renewables in Africa Blog. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  18. ^ a b "Republic of South Africa, Department of Energy, REDIS". redis.energy.gov.za. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  19. ^ "Republic of South Africa, Department of Energy, REDIS sourcing". redis.energy.gov.za. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  20. ^ "Moody's Global Research, CPV Power Plant Credit Opinion, 2017-06-01" (PDF).
  21. ^ "Photovoltaic concentrators (CPV) - Performance testing - Part 1: Standard conditions". www.iec.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
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