Article by Benjamin Gardiner, Photos by Mu-een Khan

From the 15^th to 20^th of July 2024, STERG embarked on a technical tour to the Northern Cape. This tour aims to expose students to renewable energy generation plants in South Africa, with a focus on concentrating solar power (CSP). The group comprised 11 master’s students, 1 PhD candidate, and several academic staff members. Furthermore, the group was also accompanied by a lecturer from UCT’s engineering faculty.

STERG delegation on the way to Prieska

On the 16^th of July, STERG visited the Redstone construction site, which will power over 200 000 households when it begins operation. The plant has a capacity of 100 MWe and incorporates 12 hours of molten salt storage to dispatch electricity on demand, even during evening hours. This provided the group with unique insights behind the construction process of CSP plants.

The 100MW Redstone concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) plant

On the 17^th of July, the group was fortunate to visit two currently operational power plants, Ilanga CSP 1, and Kenhardt photovoltaic (PV). Ilanga CSP 1 is a 100 MWe parabolic trough plant that uses a synthetic oil as the heat transfer fluid (HTF) and has 4.5 hours of molten salt storage. Kenhardt PV was developed by Scatec and comprises approximately a million PV panels to provide a capacity of 540 MWe. The plant also incorporates 225 MW of battery storage, which enables the plant to dispatch electricity during evening hours.

Attendees at Ilanga CSP 1

On the 18^th of July, STERG hosted its annual symposium in Upington. The symposium aims to present current CSP research, and to provide students with an informal environment to share ideas, collaborate, and network with industry professionals. The symposium was attended by the technical tour group and industry guests. Furthermore, the symposium was also attended online by several international researchers.

The symposium began with a brief introduction from the STERG director, Prof Craig McGregor. This was followed by a presentation by Dr Varun Singh, a recent post-doctorate addition to STERG. Next, master’s students Benjamin Gardiner, Mu-een Khan, Rorisang Lekholoane, and Arend Moelich gave presentations. These presentations provided the students an opportunity to present their research to the research group and industry professionals.

The event concluded with two additional presentations. First, Colin du Sart, a lecturer from the UCT engineering faculty, provided additional insights into supercritical CO2 cycles. Finally, Mr Themba Mokoena gave a brief introduction about the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) and discussed their mission for solar power.

The tour was an overall success, continuing to foster a good relationship with the CSP industry. We extend our gratitude to our hosts at Redstone, Karoshoek, and Scatec for accommodating our group and answering our eager questions.

STERG delegation at Kenhardt PV