Cameto participates in the construction of the Kathu Thermosolar Plant in South Africa

The Spanish engineering and boilermaking company Cameto is involved in the development of one of the most important solar thermal infrastructures in South Africa, the Kathu solar thermal plant in the Northern Cape region, 600 km southwest of the capital Pretoria.

This large solar thermal project, which will have a power of 100 MW, uses Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology based on parabolic trough collectors and the storage of molten salts. Its implementation will provide electricity supply to around 90,000 homes and will mean savings of 95,000 tons/year of CO2.

Kathu: A new Cameto project in South Africa

Cameto participates in the construction of this important solar thermal plant, assuming the prefabrication and assembly of the HCE and HTF piping systems of the solar thermal complex. In addition, the Spanish company is responsible for the prefabrication and assembly of headers in the Kathu solar field.

The experience accumulated in the development of the Bokpoort solar thermal plant and the Ilanga project, both in South Africa, is being key in this project, in which Cameto also collaborates with powerful firms in the Spanish solar thermal industry.

Tomelloso engineering carries out these works for the consortium formed by the Spanish companies Acciona Industrial and Sener, contractors for the construction of the Kathu solar thermal plant. We are talking about a large turnkey project, developed for the multinational Engie, which represents a total investment of 500 million euros.

South Africa, key market for Cameto

Thanks to this and other projects, South Africa has become one of the key markets for La Mancha engineering. That country receives an average radiation of more than 2,500 hours of sunshine per year and the average daily rate is between 4.5 and 6.5 kWh/m².

This makes solar energy one of the main pillars of South Africa’s energy strategy, which has an ambitious plan in place to increase renewable energy generation.

Kathu Thermosolar Plant, a strategic project for South Africa

On the other hand, the Kathu solar thermal plant is a fundamental infrastructure in South Africa’s energy strategy. This project is part of the national energy plan Integrated Resource Program 2010, which contemplates an increase in the country’s generation capacity to reach 86.8 GW in 2030, of which 24% would be renewable.

The Kathu plant occupies 4.2 km2 in the Kalahari Desert, within a total area of 10 km2, which will allow its expansion in the future. Today, about 800 people are working on its construction with the goal of delivering the project throughout 2018.

In this sense, Cameto contributes with rigor and professionalism to ensure that the deadlines of the winning companies are met and the Kathu plant is soon commissioned. With efficiency as a goal, we work to maintain the trust given to us by clients such as Acciona and Sener, who have also counted on Cameto again.”