SENER and ACCIONA Industrial on final stages of construction and commissioning of Kathu Solar Park project with its successful synchronization to the grid

SENER and ACCIONA Industrial on final stages of construction and commissioning of Kathu Solar Park project with its successful synchronization to the grid

Synchronization to the grid is one of the last steps before the plant starts commercial operation reassuring Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) as an efficient solution in the renewable energy sector with its high efficiency and performance to deliver energy to the South African grid during the evening peak.

Johannesburg, (South Africa), 26-Nov-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — SENER and ACCIONA Industrial have reached a critical milestone in the construction project of Kathu Solar Park. Namely, the successful synchronization was achieved on 18 November, electric power was generated and transferred on the National grid complying with all expected parameters to ensure the supply of power starts and end users can consume reliable energy once the plant is operational.

The Kathu Solar Park CSP Plant, which will provide clean and reliable energy to 179,000 homes is equipped with a molten salt storage system that will allow the plant to keep producing electricity 4.5 hours steadily in absence of solar radiation and guarantee dispatchable energy generation to meet on demand needs. Likewise, the use of SENERtrough®-2 collectors, a parabolic trough technology designed and patented by SENER, will aim at improving efficiency of the plant.

Mr Siyabonga Mbanjwa, SENER Southern Africa Regional Managing Director, said: “With the successful first synchronization at Kathu Solar Park we are heading into the final stages of the construction and commissioning phase of the project that will ultimately reach the COD (commercial operation date) for the plant in the next couple of months. Once fully operational, the plant will provide clean energy to the local community of the John Taole District Municipality, the Northern Cape Province and South Africa as a whole. The use of molten salt as thermal energy storage system will allow Kathu Solar Park to operate in a cost-effective manner, storing the generated energy from the sun, producing and dispatching electricity, in absence of solar radiation, to satisfy South Africa’s peak demand. At SENER, our aim is to provide the most innovative technology. It is such innovation that enabled SENER to not only provide clean energy but to ensure that it is also reliable and sustainable.”

Francisco García Bueno, Project Director at ACCIONA Industrial, said: “For the EPC consortium, plant synchronisation is one of the most important final milestones that will enable us to complete a process that began in 2016, and we achieved it with success and the greatest guarantees. The participation of local companies in the construction of Kathu, as well as Spanish companies, has been key to reaching this milestone. The principle that governs the entire project is that of sustainability in all areas: economic, social and environmental. That is why all activities are planned with the rigour and detail that both Kathu Solar Park and the John Taole District Municipality community demand of us.”

Construction on the unit began in May 2016, and it is expected to be completed in early 2019. During this phase, around 1,200 jobs are being created impacting positively the local employment prospects. In addition to this, it is estimated that the Kathu Solar Park will save six million tons of CO₂ over 20 years, and it will foster more local economic development through several project. These include a SENER and ACCIONA´s fund of R29 300 000, managed by Kelebogile Trust, for the local community that will benefit the area around the municipality of John Taolo Gaetsewe in Northern Cape, in addition to subcontracting other services to local businesses.

Notes to Editors:

About SENER
SENER is a private engineering and technology business group founded in 1956. Its aim is to offer its clients the most advanced technological solutions and to achieve international recognition based on its independence and commitment to innovation and quality. SENER has more than 2,500 professionals across its centres in Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, Canada, Colombia, Chile, China, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, the United States, Morocco, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom and South Africa. The group’s operating revenue exceeded 766 million Euros (2017 data).
SENER brings together its own Aerospace and Engineering and Construction activities with industrial holdings in companies working in the field of Energy & Environment. In Aerospace, SENER has more than 50 years of experience and it is a first-rate international supplier in Space, Defense and Aeronautics. In Engineering and Construction, SENER has become a leading company worldwide in the Infrastructure and Transport; Renewables, Power, Oil & Gas; and Marine sectors.
SENER has become a technology leader worldwide in the concentrated solar power (CSP) sector, both in the number of projects in its portfolio and because of the technological solutions it has developed. In total, SENER has been involved in 29 solar plants, most of them turnkey projects, in Spain, the USA, South Africa, and Morocco, which together represent an installed capacity of more than 2,000 MWe and CO2 savings of more than one million tons annually.

About ACCIONA
ACCIONA Industrial specialises in industrial EPC and turnkey projects with a high technology content for thermal power generation, photovoltaic and hydroelectric generation. ACCIONA Industrial is committed to innovation and using the most advanced techniques, with major projects in development and under construction in South Africa, Australia, UAE,Chile and Mexico among others.
It belongs to the ACCIONA Group, a leader in sustainable solutions for infrastructures and renewable energy projects worldwide. Its range of services covers the entire value chain of design, construction, operation and maintenance. The company earned revenues of 5,977 million euros in 2016, has a presence in more than 40 countries and carries out its activities within a commitment to the economic and social development of the communities it operates in. ACCIONA’s aim is to lead the transition to a low-carbon economy, and does this by applying criteria of quality and innovation processes to all its projects with a view to optimizing the efficient use of resources and caring for the environment. www.acciona.com

SOURCE: SENER group

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