Kathu Solar Park Project, MMA
Client Name: Investor Consortium (Investec, RMB, Old Mutual Specialised Finance, Futuregrowth, Nedbank, DBSA, ABSA, STANLIB)Project Description: Mott MacDonald Africa provided solar energy consultancy, lenders’ technical advisory, and due diligence services to the investor consortium.
The award-winning 100 MW Kathu Solar Park project gathers solar heat using an array of parabolic mirrors. Heat is transferred into a molten salt reservoir that operates like a battery. Heat released can keep power generation going for 4,5 hours.
Kathu was connected to the grid at the end of 2018, providing more than 179 000 homes with electricity. Providing an alternative to coal or gas-fired power generation after dark has resulted in a saving of 300 000 t of CO₂ a year. The project also generated 1 400 jobs during construction and 80 permanent roles for the local community, which suffers from high unemployment.