The project is part of a 2010 IRP (Integrated Resource Program) National Electricity Plan and supports in increasing South Africa’s generation capacity to 86.8 GW in 2030, out of which 24% are desired to come from renewable sources.
South Africa receives an average of 2500 hours of sunlight every year, at an average rate between 4.5 and 6.5kWh/m2.
The engineering, construction and commissioning of the project will be taken care by Sener and Acciona.
The 100MW solar facility will be operational by 2018, suppllying power to about 80,000 South African households.
Sener is also delivering the main technology of the facility, among it the SENERtrough-2 parabolic trough.
Kathu solar project is the second project that Sener and Acciona are working together. The first project, the 50MW Bokpoort plant in Upington, has recently been inaugurated.
The plant also uses SENERtrough technology and a molten salt storage system.
In total, Sener has been involved in 29 solar plants, most of them turnkey projects, in Spain, the US, South Africa, and Morocco, which together represent an installed capacity of over 2,000 MWe.
Acciona built 11 CSP plants across the world totalling 628MW in capacity.
