The project was developed for the Saudi group ACWA Power with an investment of over €300m.
The solar thermal plant with a capacity of 55MW, has already started operations using SENERtrough parabolic trough collector technology with a 1300MWht system of two storage tanks
With about 180 loops, the solar thermal plant can annually generate more than 230GWh.
Bokpoort is the fourth concentrated solar plant built by Acciona outside Spain. In late 2014, the company’s Sishen photovoltaic plant was put into operation and in August last year, the Gouda wind farm came on stream with a capacity of 138MW.
Acciona and Sener are currently building a 100MW solar thermal complex at Kathu for GDF Suez.
Along with Kathu and Bokpoort, Sener has a third thermosolar plant in South Africa.
In all the projects, the company supplies key technology like the SENERtrough parabolic trough collectors and the molten salt storage system that allows the plants to continue to generate electricity in the absence of solar radiation.
Until now, Sener has completed about 29 thermosolar plants which have been turnkey projects in Spain, the US , South Africa and Morocco with a total capacity of more than 2000MWe.
Image: Bokpoort Solar Thermal Plant. Photo: Courtesy of Acciona.
