Kathu Solar Park

What Kathu Solar Park does

Kathu Solar Park is a 100 MW greenfield concentrated solar power (CSP) facility located near Kathu in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The project uses parabolic trough technology combined with a molten salt thermal energy storage system providing 4.5 hours of dispatchable generation, enabling electricity production to continue after sunset and reducing the intermittency inherent to solar PV. The facility commenced commercial operations on 30 January 2019 and supplies renewable electricity to South Africa's national grid, with capacity sufficient to support approximately 179,000 homes during peak demand. The project is structured as a multi-shareholder consortium under the government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), having been awarded preferred bidder status in December 2014 under Bid Window 3.5.

The business operates as a single-asset utility-scale Independent Power Producer, generating revenue through long-term power purchase agreements with the South African national grid under the REIPPPP programme. The shareholder consortium comprises ENGIE as the majority shareholder and technical operator (via its wholly-owned subsidiary Kathu Operations/KOPS), the Government Employees Pension Fund managed by the Public Investment Corporation (GEPF/PIC), SIOC Community Development Trust, Investec Bank Limited, Lereko Metier, and the Kathu Local Community Trust (Kathu LCT). Pricing is not publicly disclosed as the project operates under confidential government procurement contracts.

Beyond electricity generation, the project maintains an active socio-economic development programme serving the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, with initiatives including a bursary programme supporting over 40 tertiary students (11 graduates to date), an internship programme that has produced 21 graduates since 2024, an in-school breakfast programme reaching approximately 4,500 learners in partnership with Tiger Brands Foundation, and an ECD centre stipend programme supporting over 60 practitioners across 25 centres. Corporate headquarters is located in Bryanston, Sandton, Johannesburg, while the operational plant is situated near Kathu in the Northern Cape Province; the company employs 11–50 staff.

Name

Kathu Solar Park

Legal name

Kathu Solar Park

Website

https://kathusolarpark.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kathu Solar Park is a 100 MW concentrated solar power facility in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, using parabolic trough technology with 4.5-hour molten salt storage to supply renewable electricity to the South African national grid under the REIPPPP programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility-Scale Concentrated Solar Power Generation

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

CSP Plant Development & EPC (Parabolic Trough, Tower, Linear Fresnel, Dish) (EUACAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Thermal & CSP Systems (Collectors, Receivers, Thermal Storage, CSP EPC) (EUAMABAL), Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) EPC (EUAEAAAH)

Keywords

• Concentrated solar power
• Utility scale renewables
• Molten salt storage
• Parabolic trough technology
• Independent power producer

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Electricity Generation and Sales: Kathu Solar Park generates renewable electricity through its 100 MW CSP facility and supplies power to South Africa's national grid. Revenue is generated through long-term power purchase agreements under the REIPPPP programme.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kathu Solar Park operates a 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) generation facility in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, using parabolic trough collectors with molten salt thermal storage that enables 4.5 hours of dispatchable generation. Its fundamental product is wholesale renewable electricity, sold to the South African national grid under a long-term REIPPPP power purchase agreement, alongside community socio-economic development programmes in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District.

Product overview

Kathu Solar Park operates a single concentrated solar power generation facility that produces renewable electricity for South Africa's national grid. The 100 MW CSP plant uses parabolic trough technology with a molten salt thermal energy storage system, allowing continuous power generation for up to 4.5 hours after sunset. The project is part of the government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Programme and delivers electricity to approximately 179,000 homes while providing socio-economic benefits to local communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kathu Solar Park CSP Plant (100 MW) Utility-scale 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power generation facility using parabolic trough collectors with molten salt thermal energy storage (4.5 hours), located in Kathu, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Supplies renewable electricity to South Africa's national grid under a long-term REIPPPP power purchase agreement, supporting approximately 179,000 homes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 179,000 homes powered with renewable electricity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StudyTrustcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStudyTrust administers the Kathu Solar Park Bursary Programme, managing applications and student support for tertiary education funding covering tuition, accommodation, books, and living expenses.
• Africa A+ SchoolscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAfrica A+ Schools partners with Kathu Solar Park on the ECD Centre Staff Training Programme, providing professional development training using a 'whole school' approach across 13 ECD centres.
• Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCECD implements the ECD Stipend Programme supporting over 60 staff members across 25 ECD centres in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District, addressing financial challenges with 70% of staff previously earning below minimum wage.
• Tiger Brands FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership implementing an in-school breakfast programme serving approximately 4,500 young learners in and around Kuruman. KSP makes a significant financial commitment to sponsor five schools over five years.
• Department of Basic EducationcoreOthersGovernment partner for the in-school breakfast programme, implementing the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) which supports learners in quintile 1-3 schools across South Africa.
• John Taolo Gaetsewe District Department of EducationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborates on Maths and Science Enrichment Initiative and Back to School Programme, supporting over 1,000 learners in the district with educational resources and STEM support.
• Sishen Solar FacilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates through IPP sharing model with Sishen Solar Facility under the SIOC-CDT partnership to support schools including Sishen Intermediate School with uniforms, calculators, and backpacks.
• Sishen Iron Ore Corporation Community Development Trust (SIOC-CDT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on school support programmes including Back to School initiatives benefiting over 1,000 learners, providing uniforms, calculators, and backpacks through collaborative IPP model.
• HeyMathcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartners on the High Impact Maths and Science Programme across 25 secondary and primary schools in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District, providing curriculum-aligned mathematics and science enrichment.
• University of the Witwatersrand (WITS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership hosting student research projects such as Gabriel Wolfson's machine learning optimization research for CSP plant operations, conducted as a final year engineering project.
• AFDA Cape TownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTertiary institution where bursary recipient Tshepiso Wedney Modise studied Performing Arts & Media Studies, supported through the bursary programme covering tuition and living expenses.
• Siemens EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationSteam turbine OEM providing specialist skills for annual maintenance outages, including full inspection of turbine cylinders and non-destructive testing of blade attachments for Kathu Solar Park's CSP operations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kaxu Solar One: 100 MW parabolic trough CSP plant near Pofadder, South Africa, under REIPPPP. Same parabolic trough architecture with thermal storage; virtually identical operational and regulatory profile to Kathu.
• Ilanga CSP-1: 100 MW CSP plant near Upington, South Africa, under REIPPPP. Closest geographically and technically to Kathu, providing direct benchmarking for performance and tariff outcomes.
• Noor-Ouarzazate Complex: Morocco's flagship 580 MW CSP complex combining parabolic trough and tower technologies with molten salt storage. Comparable in dispatchable CSP with storage architecture but at multi-asset scale.
• Bokpoort CSP: 50 MW parabolic trough CSP plant with molten salt storage in Groblershoop, South Africa. Same REIPPPP programme, same technology family — directly comparable dispatchable CSP peer.
• Xina Solar One: 100 MW parabolic trough CSP plant in Pofadder, South Africa, awarded under REIPPPP Bid Window 1. Directly comparable in technology, scale, and offtake structure (Eskom/SA grid PPA).

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE: Kathu Solar Park's majority parent and global energy major with the world's largest operating CSP portfolio (including Noor-Ouarzazate). Provides strategic context for how ENGIE values and operates CSP assets at scale.
• ACWA Power: Saudi-listed developer of Bokpoort and other CSP/PV projects across MENA and Africa. Direct REIPPPP competitor and broader incumbent in utility-scale concentrated solar development.

Others

• SENER Grupo de Ingeniería: Spanish engineering group and original CSP technology provider for many South African parabolic trough projects. Comparable as the underlying technology licensor and EPC ecosystem participant for Kathu's architecture.

Regional players

• Shams 1: 100 MW parabolic trough CSP plant in Abu Dhabi — comparable in technology and dispatchability profile but operating in a different regional market (GCC) with distinct PPA structures.
• Cerro Dominador: 110 MW CSP tower plant with 17.5 hours of storage in Chile's Atacama Desert. Comparable high-irradiation, dispatchable CSP+storage asset, but in the Latin American market with different offtake structures.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kathusolarpark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kathu-solar-park

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kathu Solar Park