"The power plant uses solar thermal, a very clean source of energy, to generate electricity, which conforms with South Africa's environmental protection strategy," Xie said. "While contributing to reduced carbon emissions, it will also significantly ease the power shortage in South Africa."

South Africa, which relies on coal to meet around 80 percent of its power needs, has been facing a severe power shortage in recent years that has been caused by aging coal-powered plants, outdated power grids and a lack of alternative energy sources. Frequent load shedding — the distribution of demand for electrical power across multiple power sources — is common across the country.