Spanish firms Sener and Acciona recently started construction on the 100-MW Kathu thermal solar park, a notable milestone in South Africa’s renewable-energy development program.
The $569-million project, owned by a consortium led by French electric utility Engie, was approved as part of South Africa’s renewable-energy independent power producer procurement (REIPPP) program, which is targeting generation of an additional 13,225MW of power from clean energy by 2030. According to the terms of the contract, Sener and Acciona will jointly carry out the plant’s engineering, construction management and commissioning by 2018.