Engie has started commercial operations of its 100MW Kathu Solar Park (KSP) to “provide clean and reliable energy to 179,000 homes” in South Africa.
KSP is a greenfield concentrated solar power project with “parabolic trough technology” and equipped with “a molten salt storage system that allows for 4.5 hours of thermal energy storage”.
The project has been realised under round 3.5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme, a competitive tender process launched “to facilitate private sector investment in renewable energy generation”.
“The completion of Kathu shows our continued commitment to an economic and environmentally friendly development in South Africa”, said Isabell Kocher, CEO of ENGIE. “Kathu with its molten salt storage design offers a clean solution to overcome the intermittency of renewable energies.”
KSP signed a 20-year purchase power agreement “pursuant to the REIPPP procurement programme with the offtaker/buyer”.
ENGIE holds a 48.5% stake in KSP, with other shareholders including SIOC Community Development Trust, Investec Bank, and FMO.
