Kathu Solar Park 100MW concentrated solar power plant

Overview:

• Kathu Solar Park 100MW concentrated solar power plant.
• The project is a 100MW greenfield concentrated solar power (CSP) project that uses parabolic trough technology.
• It uses a molten salt storage system that allows for 4.5 hours of thermal energy storage. 
• The site is located in the Northern Cape Province, 600km to the south west of Pretoria. 
• The park is expected to be operational by the second half of 2018.
• After construction Kathu will be one of the largest CSP plants in the world.
• Engie was nominated as the preferred bidder by the South African Department of Energy, in the third round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme.
• Firstrand Bank, acting through its Rand Merchant Bank division, ABSA Bank, Investec Bank, Nedbank and the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) were lenders for the project.
• The debt funding structure will utilise a large tranche of CPI Index linked debt.
• The project signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with South Africa's state-owned power utility Eksom in May 2016.
• Legacy firm Chadbourne & Parke (Agnieszka Klich, Julie Scotto and Lido Fontana)advised Engie.

John Crabb - Journalist