100MW Kathu Solar Park concentrated solarpower (CSP) project, one of the largest projects of its kind in South Africa, was ground broken earlier this month. Over 12,000 people will be employed during the 28-month construction period. This will encompass the solar field and the power block that will be erected on site, followed by a testing period, at which point commercial operation will be declared. The consortium is led by French company ENGIE, with engineering and technology group SENER and Acciona. Click to read detailed description of Kathu Solar Park and other CSP plants in RSA.
Mr. Cedric Faye, CEO of Kathu Solar Park will presentCSP Focus South Africa 2016 Nov.23-24 Johannesburg. As ENGIE executive indicates, the company has been in South Africa for nine years, Kathu marks the first CSP project for them. ENGIE would now look to develop more of these ventures in the country, as it had already submitted a number of projects under the REIPPPP’s expedited window.
Another speaker of CSP Focus South Africa 2016 Nov.23-24, Mr. Siyabonga Mbanjwa, Regional Managing Director in Southern Africa of SENER added, Kathu has shown SENER’s commitment to developing renewable-energyprojects in RSA. CSP technology was imperative to bolster power supply in the country, as it allowed the plant to generate electricity when needed. Through the molten salt heat storagesystem, power generation can be carried out at night and in cloudy conditions. File to free download: South African CSP Projects under REIPPPP.
Having been awarded as a preferred bidder in 2014 during the 3rd round of REIPPPP by DoE, 100MW Kathu Solar Park CSP plant takes parabolic trough technology with 4.5-hours molten-salt storage. Led by French power company ENGIE, Kathu signed PPA with Eskom this May and started construction now, and the plant will be operational in the second half of 2018.
Other speakers joined ENGIE and SENER during CSP Focus South Africa 2016 Nov.23-24are from IPP Office, IDC, Eskom, Nampower, Abengoa, ACWA, SolarReserve, ACS-Cobra, TSK, Empresarios Agrupados, Mott MacDonald, IFC, Nedbank, DBSA, 247Solar Inc., STERG, Baker & McKenzie, Allen & Overy LLP, Frost & Sullivan, GeoSun and Arcus Consulting.
