Kathu solar thermal plant (South Africa) has entered into commercial operation on January 30.
With an installed capacity of 100 MW it will provide clean energy to 179,000 homes in the Northern Cape region of South Africa, and prevent the emission into the atmosphere of six million tons of CO2 over the next 20 years.
The plant incorporates a molten salt storage system that allows to store the heat coming from the solar field and generate electricity in the absence of solar radiation. Thanks to this storage system with a capacity of up to 5 hours of power generation, the operational capacity of the plant is extended after sunset and on cloudy days.
The project is part of the energy plan of the South African Government IRP 2010 and aims to increase the country’s generation capacity to reach 86.8 GW in 2030, of which 24% will be renewable.
