SOUTH AFRICA PLANS MONSTER 5,000 MW SOLAR PROJECT

S. Africa Looks at 150 Billion Rand Solar Power Park
Mike Cohen and Lauren van der Westhuizen (w/Vernon Wessels and Alastair Reed), September 16, 2010 (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

"South Africa plans to complete [by the end of September] a study into the viability of a 5,000 megawatt solar energy park, which will be the world’s largest if built…

"…[T]he plant, which may be built in Upington in the Northern Cape, could cost as much as 150 billion rand ($21.1 billion), government spokesman Themba Maseko told reporters…The study is being conducted by South Africa’s Department of Energy with the Clinton Climate Initiative."

South Africa certainly has the sun to match its ambitions. (click to enlarge)

"A memorandum of understanding was signed by South African Energy Minister Dipuo Peters and representatives from the Clinton Climate Initiative in October 2009 to develop the plant. South Africa is battling a power shortage after the government halted expansion plans by state-owned power producer Eskom Holdings Ltd. for four years until 2004 while it tried and failed to convince companies to build power plants..."

[Jenny Chase, lead solar analyst, Bloomberg New Energy Finance:] “[It] would be the largest single solar project yet in planning…[and] would have to be developed in stages…It would be quite surprising to see the first phase begin construction in less than five years. Several much smaller projects have been in planning for more than 15 years.”