Journal Article

Concentrated solar power in South Africa

GRANT, KATE

2009

Overview

The case is examined for accelerated deployment of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology in the South African electricity sector. Policy mechanisms and enabling activities that need to be defined and developed to encourage investment in CSP are reviewed. The use of a tender process, complemented by support from other policy instruments such as feed-in tariffs, is proposed as an efficient way of meeting an effective CSP target. The advantages of international support and commitment to large-scale CSP deployment include the sharing of knowledge and the incremental improvements inherent in the process of 'learning-by-doing'. Policy relevance: South Africa requires a viable alternative to coal power generation if it is to endorse decarbonization of the power sector. CSP could offer an appropriate technology but, after some years of discussions, no pilot project has yet been realized. Amongst other enabling activities, this illustrates two requirements for such a shift to a new lowcarbon technology: finance to meet the incremental costs of the initial pilot projects, and a strategy to create domestic production or attract international manufacturers to South Africa. These requirements are necessary to reduce costs and replace lost jobs from reduced coal power generation. International cooperation might unlock these opportunities by providing financial support for the incremental costs, thus enhancing the credibility of longer-term deployment strategies so as to attract investment in the supply chain; for creating technical assistance and capacity-building measures towards a suitable regulatory framework; and for manufacturing, installation and operation of plants.

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group,Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subject: accelerated deployment / Afrique du Sud / Alternative energy / Alternative energy sources / Appropriate technologies / Appropriate technology / Capacity / capacity building / Capacity building approach / Capacity development / Capital costs / Carbon / Clean technology / Climate change / Climate policy / Coal / concentrated solar power / Consumption / Costs / Credibility / Decarbonization / Decarburizing / Deployment / déploiement accéléré / Electric industries / Electricity / Electricity generation / energie solaire concentrée / Energy consumption / Energy efficiency / Energy industry / Energy policy / Energy resources / energy sector / Environmental policy / Feed composition / Financial support / Financing / Frameworks / Industrial plants / Installation / Instruments / instruments de politique / International cooperation / International society / international support / Investment / Investments / Job creation / Joint ventures / New technology / Pilot projects / policy instruments / politique climatique / Power / Power generation / Private sector / Production / Production capacity / renewable energy / Renewable energy sources / Renewable resources / renforcement des capacités / secteur de l'énergie / Solar energy / Solar power / South Africa / soutien international / Studies / Supply / Supply chain management / Supply chains / Sustainable development / Tariff / Tariffs / Technical assistance / Technological change / Technology / énergies renouvelables