South Africa unveils plans for 'world's biggest' 5 GW solar power plant

South Africa unveils plans for 'world's biggest' solar power plant | Environment | guardian.co.uk

South Africa unveils plans for 'world's biggest' solar power plantGiant mirrors and solar panels in Northern Cape would reduce carbon emissions and generate one-tenth of the country's energy needs. Africa is to unveil plans this week for what it claims will be the world's biggest solar power plant – a radical step in a coal-dependent country where one in six people still lacks electricity.

The project, expected to cost up to 200bn rand (£18.42bn), would aim by the end of its first decade to achieve an annual output of five gigawatts (GW) of electricity - currently one-tenth of South Africa's energy needs. Giant mirrors and solar panels would be spread across the Northern Cape province, which the government says is among the sunniest 3% of regions in the world with minimal cloud or rain.

The government hopes the solar park will help reduce carbon emissions from Africa's biggest economy, which is still more than 90% dependent on coal-fired power stations. In April, the World Bank came in for sharp criticism from environmentalists for approving a $3.75bn (£2.37bn) loan to build one of the world's largest coal-fired power plants in the country