Kathu CSP Plant
CLEAN, NON-POLLUTING ENERGY
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
1 in 8 people still do not have access to electricity. In order to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, it is necessary to increase the use of renewable energy from 25 % today to 38 % in 2025.
ACCIONA is positioning itself as a key player in addressing the growth in energy demand while curbing the progress of global warming and promoting the transition to a decarbonized energy model.
CLIMATE ACTION
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
The generation and use of energy is responsible for 74 % of total greenhouse gas emissions in the world. This activity is the largest contributor to global warming. Investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other low carbon technologies will continue to be essential to meet the new needs of humanity and to minimise their negative impact on the environment.
ACCIONA considers the fight against climate change and its related effects to be a strategic priority. The Company is working to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in order to contribute to the progress of society and respond to the main challenges of sustainable development in the areas of infrastructure, water and energy, leading the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Kathu Solar Park, located in the town of Kathu, province of Northern Cape, South Africa, is a 100 MW CSP solar thermal energy plant. ACCIONA is a member of the consortium that carried out this project, which was inaugurated in 2019.
The project began after a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) was signed between ENGIE and Eskom, the public electricity utility of South Africa.
Kathu Solar Park is a Concentrated Solar Power plant (CSP) equipped with parabolic trough collector technology and a thermal storage system using molten salts to enable 4.5 hours of thermal energy supply, which extends the plant's operating capacity after sunset. Kathu will produce enough energy to provide for the electricity demand of 150,000 homes.
Construction of this plant began in May 2016. During the construction phase of this project, around 1,200 new jobs were created, roughly 36% of which will be local. In addition, Kathu Solar Park is expected to prevent six million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the course of 20 years and will promote local economic development through various projects, such as a local community fund to benefit the surrounding John Taolo Gaetsewe area in Northern Cape, as well as subcontracting of other services to local contractors.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Project undertaken by ACCIONA's Infrastructure Division
- Location
- Northern Cape, South Africa
- Client
- Engie
- Capacity
- 100 MWe
- Contract type
- EPC - Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning
- Technology
- Parabolic trough collectors with thermal storage using molten salts for 4.5 hours
- Year construction started
- 2016
- 100 MW power
- 4.5 hours of thermal storage
- Estimated net production of 500 GWh per year