Safe, sustainable and quality blasting came under the spotlight in Kathu, Northern Cape, on 10th July 2024, as BME invited customers for a deep dive into the productivity potential within its blasting ecosystem. According to Nishen Hariparsad, BME’s General Manager for Technology and Marketing, the technical summit allowed BME to share its blasting ecosystem with customers, developed over 40 years of innovation. “In our partnership with customers, we bring a suite of offerings including products, infrastructure, equipment, people, advanced technical services, software and hardware,” said Hariparsad. He pointed to the company’s INNOVEX emulsion system, its AXXIS initiating system, the wide range of technical services, and the Blast Alliance suite of blasting software. Safety aspects were a key aspect of the day’s discussion, with BME highlighting the commitment that goes into achieving a zero recordable case rate (RCR) since its 2023 financial year. “Importantly, the technical summit included expert input on best practice in blasting, and beyond,” he said. “This took delegates through a detailed road map of the key aspects to consider in achieving their desired blast outcomes.” This included looking at new technologies being employed to optimise blasting, such as string loading, virtual reality, ‘green’ emulsion systems, electronic initiation practices, continuous fragmentation measurement, differential energy loading, and wireless technologies. Delegates at the summit were also brought up to speed with the latest legislation relevant to blasting and explosives, including the importance of controlling the transport, storage and usage of explosives though a stringent and accurate chain of custody. “We were also able to talk more about the latest generation of our locally developed AXXIS electronic detonation system, AXXIS Titanium, which represents a quantum leap in technology,” he said. “Over the years, AXXIS has broken records for the number of electronic detonators initiated in a single blast – and its accuracy, safety and functionality keep on improving.” Hariparsad said the successful technical summit was the first of many in the Northern Cape, a region with mature challenges and increased mining complexities. With its integrated blasting solutions – increasingly leveraged by artificial intelligence, telematics and other digital technologies – BME will be supporting its mining customers in continuously improving blasting practice and results. BME, as a division of Omnia Group, is committed to Omnia’s purpose of innovating to enhance life, together creating a greener future. Join over 65, 400 subscribers and receive our weekly eNewsletter! Please check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription. You have successfully submitted your enquiry. Someone from our company will respond ASAP The consortium formed by the engineering and technology group Sener and Acciona, and led by global infrastructure and renewable energy leader Acciona, has started the turnkey construction of the Kathu Solar Park Complex, after signing the contract with the consortium that owns the project, led by ENGIE, for more than €500m. Located in the town of Kathu, in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province, this project makes up part of the 2010 IRP (Integrated Resource Programme) National Electricity Plan, and will provide an increase in the country’s generation capacity until it reaches 86.8 GW in 2030, of which 24% will be renewable. It should be noted that South Africa receives an average solar radiation of more than 2,500 hours per year and the average daily rate is between 4.5kWh/sqm and 6.5kWh/sqm, making solar energy one of the key pillars of the country’s future energy supply system. Sener and Acciona will carry out the engineering, construction management and commissioning of the plant until its turnkey delivery. Sener is also supplying the main technology of the facility, and amongst it is the SENERtrough®-2 parabolic trough. The 100MW plant will begin operations in 2018 and will be able to supply electricity to 80,000 homes. The building consortium has now started construction works after performing the required basic engineering. For those works, it will use local suppliers, as the project is fully committed to the local community. Commercial operation of the plant is expected in 2018. This is the second solar thermal project in South Africa where both companies are working together, the first being the 50 MW Bokpoort plant (Upington), recently inaugurated, and in which they also form part of the building consortium. This is also a turnkey project that uses SENERtrough® technology and a molten salt storage system. THE AVERAGE South African may not have heard of the Gamagara Local Municipality in the Northern Cape but it has secured a notable claim to fame: the highest average taxable income in the country The municipality is made up of several towns and villages including Kathu (the administrative centre) Kathu is well-known for its massive open-cast iron ore mine According to the latest tax statistics released by the National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (Sars) Gamagara recorded an impressive average taxable income of R518,808 for the 2023/24 fiscal year This places the municipality ahead of heavyweights like the City of Johannesburg which recorded the second-highest average taxable income of R484,671 Stellenbosch in the Western Cape secured third place with an average taxable income of R458,198 There appear to be hidden gems of wealth in the Northern Cape with two other municipalities making the top 10 list for high average taxable income The Joe Morolong Municipality has an average taxable income of R427,977 while the Tsantsabane Local Municipality has an average taxable income of R405,926 The Revenue Service has meanwhile noted that over the past 30 years tax collections have increased from R113.8 billion in 1994/95 to R1 740.9 billion in 2023/24 at a compounded annual growth rate of 9.9% and an average tax to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of 22.2% Sars said that ​​since the inception of the tax authority in 1997/98 it has collected more than R21.1 trillion for the country’s social and economic development It also added that in the 2023/24 fiscal year Sars collected R2.2 trillion in gross tax revenue and this was R87 billion more than in the prior year the taxman refunded R413.9 billion back to South Africans SuperSport Schools Plus and he further enhanced that feat by picking up a five-wicket haul which included dismissing four frontline batsmen That must surely rank as one of the best T20 bowling performances at any level of the game With the medium-pacer’s jaw-dropping performance leading the way Kathu restricted the Kalahari Eye Warriors to 62 all out was the only batsman to make it into double figures for the losing side Kathu crossed the line in 14.3 overs to record a seven-wicket win with Christiaan Erasmus (27*) and Garren Stonestreet (15) making the biggest contributions with the bat Graeme College smashed Port Alfred by 227 runs the team from Makhanda amassed 262/2 in their 20 overs while Andrew Muir weighed in with 54 not out Port Alfred was skittled for only 41 runs in their reply Corbin Tidbury (3/3) and Ethan Bokbaard (3/14) removed three batsmen each and Kits McConnachie (2/21) helped speed Graeme to a one-sided victory Selborne College was every bit as dominant in a 10-wicket win over Stirling whose innings lasted only 11.1 overs as they were skittled for just 61 Reece Wait removed five of Stirling’s batsmen for only three runs in two overs also troubled the losing side’s batsmen Selborne College then reached the required target in only 4.4 overs thanks to some aggressive batting by Joshua Wilkie (33* Dale College defeated Central Hub by 56 runs The team from Qonce posted 113/8 in their allotted overs before restricting Central Hub to 57 runs Marais Viljoen of Alberton is the early favourite to be crowned the champion in the Easterns’ region They defeated Actonville Hub by six wickets Actonville batted first and tallied 102/9 in their 20 overs Yousuf Teladia kept the Marais Viljoen bowlers at bay and he received solid support from Mabutho Maseko Marais Viljoen was made to work hard for their win but after 17.2 overs they had scored 106/4 thanks to Rieshaeel Hashim (43*) and Jaden Govender (33) Kalahari Eye Warriors Hub 62/10 (Tshidiso Phou 23; Gregory Julie 5/0 TJ Lategan 2/8); Hoërskool Kathu 63/3 (Christiaan Erasmus 27; Leungo Mosiane 2/2) Graeme College 262/2 (Luphelo Mdyesha 124* Andrew Muir 54*); Port Alfred 41/10 (Corbin Tidbury 3/3 Aaron Senekal 2/17); Selborne College 62/0 (Joshua Wilkie 33* Abdullah Tadwala 2/12); Marais Viljoen 106/4 (Rieshaeel Hashim 43* Related News Sensational Rowles Puts SA u19 1-0 Up in Namibia Cricket SA 2025-04-28 WINDHOEK: Jason Rowles claimed an incredible five-wicket haul to set South Africa Under-19 Men on their way to a one-sided 10-wicket win over TSHWANE: Building on the momentum of previous SA20 U19 Women’s Camps, the second instalment of the SA U19 Women’s national training JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced the 15-player South Africa Under-19 Men’s squad set to tour Namibia for a TSHWANE: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is gearing up to host two national training camps for the South Africa Under-19 Women’s team Karabo Meso saved her best for last, smashing an unbeaten 117 runs against Saints Christian School, of Potchefstroom, at the WINDHOEK: Jason Rowles claimed an incredible five-wicket haul to set South Africa Under-19 Men on their way to a one-sided 10-wicket win over Kimberley’s Newton Primary School was invited to the Kathu Sevens Rugby Tournament and obliged by sending along an Under-12 and Under-13 team Newton’s players showcased exceptional talent and determination at the competition held on Friday and Saturday last week The Under-12 team demonstrated incredible resilience Their matches included a narrow defeat against Lime Acres Under-13s with a narrow 17-19 scoreline a dominant 38-5 win over LS Kuruman Under-13 a commanding 46-0 victory over Staats Under-12 and a sobering 0-55 loss to Kathu Under-13 and each player should be proud of their efforts stole the show with their outstanding performance They triumphed over Amarantus Under-12s with a score of 55-7 and went on to edge Op die Voorpos 29-28 in a thrilling match Their journey continued with a decisive 41-5 victory against Op die Voorpos in the semi-final The grand finale saw Newton’s Under-13 team facing Kathu where they emerged victorious with a score of 31-19 This victory is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and coaches and a big congratulations can be given to the Under-13 team for their well-deserved win and to both teams for representing Newton Primary School with pride and excellence said that the Kathu Sevens was a great tournament and that it was the first time that they were there and we were in the so-called pool of death where we had to play against the Voorpos A team “Only one team can go through per pool to the semi-finals but our children showed what they had in them and gave the ‘Newton Fight’ a new meaning,” he told the DFA “One thing that counted in our favour was the fitness and talent we have on the field,” the coach added “We are really proud of our teams for how they performed because it just shows what Newton is made of.” Winning the title at their first appearance at the Kathu Sevens means that Newton Primary can hold the trophy high with pride for now until they need to defend their title at the next instalment of the competition Boost for Rural Tertiary Education and Community Learners Recognizing the critical role that technical colleges play in providing access to tertiary education for students from remote areas of the country a funding and development programme has been announced This intervention is set to provide extensive study bursaries to a cohort of over 40 students with future plans in place to address infrastructure support This programme follows a needs analysis undertaken by Kathu Solar Park which identified the areas of support to help improve the tertiary education and the teaching environment within the Northern Cape’s John Taolo Gaetsewe District communities of Kuruman “Our research revealed that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges fulfil an important role within the tertiary education offering within these remote communities and that the quality of education and students learning experience is being hindered by the lack of access for student funding and the rolling power-outages,” commented Cheryl Persensie Economic Development Manager for Kathu Solar Park The programme’s study bursary funding aims to support the ‘missing middle students’ categorized as those who don’t qualify for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme The programme funds students who have not been able to secure any financial support for their studies for the 2023 academic year The Kathu Solar Park’s KSP bursary funding for TVET students extends to incorporates the timeframe that it takes for students to complete their respective qualifications with the following criteria for considered for this financial support: “We have clear indicators that will be used to track the implementation of the programme this includes number of students supported with tuition and thereby able to continue their studies the number of teaching hours increased because of decrease in power disruption; and finally financial savings benefitting each family not having to fund their student’s academic year,” concluded Persensie The programme provides bursary to South African students who want to further their studies in TVET that is eligible for funding: The solar park was awarded under Round 3.5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPP) a competitive tender process that was launched to facilitate private sector investment in renewable energy generation ENGIE is pleased to announce that commercial operation was achieved on 30 January 2019 for the 100 MW Kathu Solar Park in South Africa This state of the art plant is a greenfield Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project with parabolic trough technology and equipped with a molten salt storage system that allows for 4.5 hours of thermal energy storage to provide reliable electricity in the absence of solar radiation and during peak demand The Kathu site covers approximately 4.5 km² Kathu is the first CSP development for ENGIE Kathu Solar Park signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) pursuant to the REIPPP procurement programme with the off-taker/buyer CEO of ENGIE : “The completion of Kathu shows our continued commitment to an economic and environmentally friendly development in South Africa Kathu with its molten salt storage design offers a clean solution to overcome the intermittency of renewable energies We are proud to contribute to the country's renewable energy goals and look forward to continuing the projects initiated with local communities making Kathu a genuine driver of regional economic development.” Kathu will provide clean and reliable energy to 179 000 homes in the local community of the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality the Northern Cape and South Africa as a whole it is estimated that the Kathu Solar Park will save six million tons of CO2 over 20 years and will foster further local economic development through several projects such as the trust for the benefit of the communities situated in the Northern Cape and sourcing of services from local entrepreneurs include a group of South African investors comprising SIOC Community Development Trust the German investment and development company The main contractor (EPC) is Liciastar – a Spanish consortium of SENER and Acciona in addition to the Kelebogile Trust ENGIE has interests in a wind farm (94 MW Aurora) 2 solar photovoltaic parks (21 MW) and 2 thermal power peaking plants (670 MW Avon and 335 MW Dedisa) ENGIE also owns Thermaire Investments (Pty) Ltd leaders in the HVAC installation and maintenance segment in the South African market You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience PHUKET — A Polish tourist fell to his death from a fifth-floor condominium balcony in Patong as he stood up while drinking with his wife in the early hours of Saturday forensic officials and doctors arrived at the condo in Kathu district and found the body of the 34-year-old Polish man The incident was reported at about 12.13am The man's Polish wife told police that she and her husband stayed in a room on the fifth floor and they drank alcoholic beverage on the balcony of their room her husband stood up and suddenly lost his balance Rescue workers took the body to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination Police coordinated with the Polish embassy about the incident where the Polish man fell to his death from the balcony of his room on the fifth floor (Photo: Kusoltham Phuket rescue foundation) By subscribing, you accept the terms and conditions in our privacy policy SAPS Water Policing and Diving Servicesand Table View Police continue searching for missing Pierre Lotter and 3 Dachshund dogs at Bloubergstrand shoreline The missing man is last known to have been wearing a cream colored shirt Family has requested privacy in this difficult time Anyone with information - that can assist Police in the search for Pierre - can call Tableview Police at 0215213338 OR 10111 The missing man can also be identified by tattoos on his inner arm NSRI Table Bay were alerted by concerned relatives of 2 men and their 3 dogs who had last been heard from at around 18h30 after going fishing in the Bloubergstrand area NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) and NSRI Melkbosstrand were alerted and their 3 Dachshund dogs had been fishing at Kid's Rock NSRI Melkbosstrand activated crew who responded to investigate and on arriving in the area the 47 year old man was found lifeless on the beach near to the Blue Peter Hotel NSRI medics initiated CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts The CoCT (City of Cape Town) water rescue network was activated Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and Big Bay Surf Lifesaving (BBSL) responded CPR continued on the man while a search for the missing man and for the dogs was commenced After all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted sadly he was declared deceased by paramedics The body of the deceased man was taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services NSRI Table Bay crew joined NSRI Melkbosstrand Fire and Rescue Services (including Fire rescue divers) the local coastwatchers and BBSL lifeguards in an extensive shoreline search for the missing man and the 3 dogs The NSRI Melkbosstrand rescue craft Rotary's Gift was launched and Metro Control dispatched the EMS rescue squad drone search and rescue team who conducted an extensive thermal aerial search The SA Police Services (SAPS WPDS) Water Policing and Diving Services joined in the search 2 NSRI rescue swimmers and 2 BBSL lifeguards were deployed into the water to free dive search and to reach Kids Rock where a search of Kids Rock revealed no signs of the missing man and the 3 missing dogs sea and shoreline search there remains no signs of the missing man and the dogs It is believed that they were fishing from Kids Rock and that they had been there the day before We believe that they had reached the rock at low tide but during the incoming high tide we suspect that somewhere between 18h30 and 19h30 they may have tried to swim across the channel Condolences are conveyed to the family and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time while a search continues for the missing man and for the dogs NSRI Life Boat Club member rescued on the wild-side of Gqeberha We’re proud to announce that our newly rebuilt NSRI Station 21 in St Francis Bay is now officially open we held a blessing ceremony for two new state-of-the-art rescue vessels: the Spirit of St Francis III .. Gqeberha — The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) today officially celebrated the blessing of its latest state-of-the-art Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC) at a ceremony held at the PE Deep Sea Angling Club building Subscribe today for information about NSRI rescues SANRAL Project Manager Friedl van der Merwe is currently completing a R60 million upgrade project with three intersections on the N14 between Olifantshoek and Kathu which is essential for improved mobility and road safety but increased mining activity in the region has significantly increased freight traffic which has to be integrated with the regular traffic volumes The use of roundabouts has enhanced mobility and traffic flow in the area “At the Kathu south circle there is a growing industrial development with a significant heavy vehicle fleet going through the roundabout every day We have increased the size of the roundabout to accommodate abnormal load vehicles which require a wider turning circle than regular traffic,” Van der Merwe said The Northern Cape Growth and Development Plan prioritises the province’s industrial agenda which also responds to the President’s call for infrastructure development to spearhead economic recovery post-COVID also referred to as the Industrial Development Corridor is a critical artery that serves as a foundation for industrial expansion and development across the Northern Cape with development of the Kathu Industrial Park being central to this This and other similar economic zones are key to driving the evolving economic landscape all geared to support the Northern Cape’s vision of being a modern “These road safety upgrades have also had a major economic impact and to date have yielded approximately 60 local labour opportunities where jobs and skills transfer for youth and women have been prioritised,” Van der Merwe added Transformation is at the core of SANRAL’s operations and every effort was made to ensure that subcontractors from targeted enterprises were able to participate meaningfully in the project said they were able to incorporate 11 subcontractors and seven suppliers at a cost of just over R13 million “We also provided training to the subcontractors and all their employees,” he added One of the subcontractors and Director at Raseroka Projects was appointed to do electrical works on the project “Our scope of work on this project is mainly on excavation There is another company that lays the cables and does the electrifying This project has given my company a major economic push and we are now looking at upgrading from a 1CE to a 2CE or even 3CE This is really one of those projects that came to our region and unlocked opportunities and growth,” he said Raseroka acknowledges that they do not work every day so they have had to plan carefully for the days when teams must work we can take on more of the local labour force which really does make a difference within the community.” The project is earmarked for completion in January 2024 The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Northern Cape is very upset and annoyed by the inhuman behaviour displayed by ESKOM The matter at hand is the eviction of employees from company houses by their employer ESKOM In 2009 our members were transferred to Kathu it was because of the mines complaining about turn around time as employees were working from Postmasburg Kathu CNC was a satellite before and was officially opened and converted to CNC in 2009 At that moment Eskom had one house in Kathu which was occupied by the old man who was on the verge of retiring when he left Eskom then the house was occupied by another employee as per housing practice note The housing practice note was developed in 2013 after the investigation from Eskom and realised that employees are in need of housing in Kathu Ayanda Noah who was by that time the GE for Distribution had an engagement with the employees and gave instruction to NCOU management to consult the mines and municipality to see if there are other houses vacant that they can assist with or either buy land and build houses for Eskom employees to reside in those houses Eskom started to buy two houses in Bestwood Estate which is now changed to Lattakoo Estate this brings a total of three Eskom owned houses in Kathu Eskom then rented a privately owned house and subsidised the employees as per the housing practice note Eskom could not pay according to the lease agreement and started to be in arrears until the private owners of those houses decided to terminate the contract with Eskom Eskom started to send employees emails evicting them stating that what they were doing was not in line with treasury regulations therefore they cannot continue with this agreement by assisting employees they wanted to phase out the housing practice note After eviction O&M manager decided to assist the Kathu employees for a period of time but that also was stopped That’s where one of our colleagues applied for a transfer to Kimberly and it was approved the other employee applied from Kathu to Postmasburg The inconsistency arose where three employees were benefiting and the rest were not benefiting One employee who was staying in Bestwood after being evicted tried to carry the rent on his shoulder by paying R8000,00 per month until he could not take it anymore He is currently travelling 182km per day Kathu to Postmasburg because Eskom could no longer assist its Kathu and Kuruman employees as agreed In Kuruman there is a colleague who was also evicted he was persuaded from Kimberly to station in Kuruman with a promise of being assisted with a house he is currently travelling to Kimberly where his family is residing and in the morning he is driving back to Kuruman to work "We started to address this housing issue within the OU but no assistance he promised with his engagement with the OU in 2019 that he will see how he can assist since he left and no feedback was received from his office The matter was addressed with Jan Oberholzer in 2019 in Upington he seemed so convinced and willing to assist and even asked Kathu to send an email with burning issues regarding housing which we did until today no solution," said Cornelius Manhe Andrie Deryter had an engagement with NCOU employees where the housing issue was raised by Kathu employees he promised to look into the matter and will assist Last month employees at Kathu applied for a relocation because Eskom didn’t want to help them with housing One colleague lodged a grievance because his transfer request was rejected but even now it has fallen on the deaf ears of ESKOM Management," Manhe added Cornelius Manhe: NUM Kimberley Regional Secretary: 079 871 5514Address:7 Rissik Street.Cnr Frederick,Johannesburg 2001Tel: 011 377 2111Web: www.num.org.za Twitter: @Num Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/100860023402167 COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal social & economic relief information and resources The 100MW Kathu solar power plant has accomplished its first synchronisation to the national grid This was announced yesterday by tech and engineering companies saying they have reached a critical milestone in the construction project of Kathu Solar Park Construction of the R12 billion Kathu Solar Park, located in the Northern Cape, commenced in 2016. Kathu was awarded preferred bidder in the 3.5 round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme led by the South African Department of Energy. Yesterday, SENER and ACCIONA revealed that electric power was generated at Kathu and transferred to the grid, complying with all expected parameters to ensure the supply of power starts and end-users consume reliable energy once the plant is operational. The Kathu Solar Park, which will provide clean and reliable energy to 179 000 homes, is equipped with a molten salt storage system that allows the plant to keep producing electricity for 4.5 hours steadily in absence of solar radiation. It also guarantees dispatchable energy generation to meet demand. The use of SENERtrough-2 collectors, a parabolic trough technology designed and patented by SENER, will aim at improving efficiency of the plant. "With the successful first synchronisation 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] in the next couple of months," says Siyabonga Mbanjwa, SENER Southern Africa regional MD. "Once fully operational, the plant will provide clean energy to the local community of the John Taole District Municipality in the Northern Cape province. 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, as well as 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 it is also reliable and sustainable." The Kathu Solar Park will provide clean and reliable energy to 179 000 homes. Francisco Garc'ia Bueno, project director at ACCIONA Industrial, says: "The 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 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 2016, and it is expected to be completed in early 2019, the companies say. During this phase, they add, around 1 200 jobs have been created. According to the companies, it is estimated the Kathu Solar Park will save six million tonnes of CO2 over 20 years, and it will foster more local economic development through several projects. These include a SENER and ACCIONA fund of R29.3 million, managed by Kelebogile Trust, for the local community, which will benefit the area around the municipality of John Taolo Gaetsewe, in addition to subcontracting other services to local businesses. a global productivity partner for the mining and infrastructure industries has opened a new Local Distribution Centre (LDC) in Kathu in the Northern Cape to bring equipment who heads up Epiroc’s Regional Distribution Centre “Our decision to create an LDC in the Northern Cape perfectly aligns with Epiroc’s regionalisation strategy Our former facility in Kuruman was simply too small to adequately cater to our vision of growth for this territory.” The new 700 sqm facility which was officially opened on 14th April 2021 stores consumables and spare parts based on the type of equipment customers are operating in the Northern Cape and will be replenished from Epiroc’s RDC in Johannesburg “Our Kathu LDC puts us in the favourable position of being able to increase our stock holding and assortment which adds tremendous value for our customers and end-users,” affirms Hanekom “In addition to substantially reducing lead-times we are now also able to support our customers from a regional as well as from a local point with more stocked items.” The LDC operations are outsourced to a 3PL partner will report to Bernhard Schiller in his capacity as Regional RDC/LDC Operations Manager We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again The engineering and technology group SENER and Acciona achieved the connection of the 100-MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant to the 132 kV ESKOM Distribution line on February 23 Main and auxiliary transformers have been energized which represents a relevant milestone for power plant commissioning activities which will supply clean energy to 179,000 homes (estimation of the South African Dept is equipped with a molten salt storage system that allows 4.5 hours of thermal energy storage to extend the operational capacity of the plant after sunset and uses SENERtrough-2 collectors specifically designed and patented by SENER aimed at improving efficiency of the plant SENER regional managing director in Southern Africa comments: “With this key milestone for the Kathu project we reassure our commitment to tackling the South Africa’s need for a reliable and sustained energy supply and the improvement of the grid stability we have focused on deploying our patented Concentrated Solar Power to support clean energy generation.” chief operating officer of Acciona Industrial says: “This project milestone has only been achieved in time and with high quality standards thanks to the joint venture’s ability to develop this project in the South African market We have focused on working with local entities and communities in the region which is why we are executing Concentrated Solar Power Kathu with excellence.” Kathu Solar Park is one of the awarded projects in the third round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) led by the South African DOE The joint venture between SENER and Acciona Industrial was appointed by the ENGIE-led consortium to provide engineering procurement and construction services for the project Construction started on site in May 2016 and is due for completion in late 2018 Approximately 1,200 jobs are being created during the construction phase It is estimated that the Kathu Solar Park will save six million metric tons of CO2 over 20 years and will further promote local economic development through the KSP trust and the Kelebogile Trust which has invested significantly in the local community thus far thereby making a meaningful contribution to the community of the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality situated in the Northern Cape Source: http://helioscsp.com/kathu-solar-park-concentrated-solar-power-plant-synchronises-to-eskoms-grid/ Solar fuels are made using thermochemistry driven by direct heat from the sun In this process solar thermal energy provides the heat for thermochemical reactions to produce new compounds such as green hydrogen or sustainable aviation fuel This gigantic solar thermal energy storage tank holds enough stored sunlight to generate 1,100 MWh/day from stored solar power The cheapest way to store solar energy over many hours Commercial operations at the R12 billion Kathu Solar Park have commenced Located in the Northern Cape province, the 100MW Kathu solar power plant accomplished its first synchronisation to the national grid in November last year. Constructed by SENER and ACCIONA Industrial, Kathu has an installed capacity of 100MW. It will allow clean energy to be supplied to 179 000 homes in the Northern Cape province and prevent the emission of six million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere over the next 20 years. The new development at Kathu comes as the South African government makes strides in driving renewable energy in to the country's energy mix. Last night in his State of the Nation Address, president Cyril Ramaphosa said ailing power utility Eskom must consider clean technologies in its turnaround strategy. "It [Eskom's turnaround strategy] needs to take into account the role that Eskom itself should play in clean generation technologies," said Ramaphosa. The Kathu plant incorporates SENERtrough-2 parabolic trough collectors and a molten salt storage system that enables heat from the solar park to be stored and electricity to be generated in the absence of solar radiation. This molten salt storage system, which provides up to five hours of power generation, extends the operational capacity of the plant after sundown and on cloudy days. "With the completion of Kathu Solar Park, we showed our firm commitment to the development of a renewable energy industry in South Africa," says Siyabonga Mbanjwa, regional managing director of SENER Southern Africa. "Concentrated solar power (CSP), as a viable alternative to traditional baseload sources of energy, has a demonstrated alignment with South Africa's national agenda of achieving inclusive growth that includes job-creating, manufacturing, construction and rural development. Reaching commercial operation at Kathu means the energy supply to the local community is secure and demand is well managed while contributing to mitigate the effects of climate change," Mbanjwa notes. Roberto Felipe, director of operations and production at ACCIONA Industrial, says: "At ACCIONA we are committed to renewable energies, and in particular to CSP energy. The execution of the Kathu Solar Park plant has been a success for performance objectives thanks to the excellent team involved in the project, and also for the impact it has had on the economy and population in the province of the Northern Cape in South Africa. "This has been made possible thanks to the excellent relationship with local administrations and businesses, and with Kathu Solar Park, our client. In addition, this plant becomes our second project in the region along with the Bokpoort solar thermal plant, which consolidates us in the renewable energy market in the country." The project is part of the South African government's Integrated Resource Programme 2010. This plan aims to increase the country's power generation capacity to 86.8GW by 2030, of which 24% will be renewable. Kathu Solar Park was one of the projects awarded during bid window 3.5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) by the Department of Energy. The joint venture between SENER and ACCIONA Industrial was appointed by the shareholders, which is led by ENGIE, including a group of South African investors comprising SIOC Community Development Trust, Investec Bank, Lereko Metier Sustainable Capital Fund, its co-investors FMO, the Dutch development bank and DEG, the German investment and development company and the Public Investment Corporation to provide the engineering, procurement and construction services on the project. Construction began in May 2016 and created 1 700 jobs in peak June 2018. The Kathu solar thermal power project has also contributed to the economic development of the region by contracting local suppliers and through the KSP Social Economic Development programme and the Kelebogile Foundation, thereby significantly boosting community development in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality. This is the second solar thermal power project jointly developed by SENER and ACCIONA in SA. The first was the 50MW Bokpoort plant (Upington), officially opened in late 2016, for which they were also part of the construction consortium. Source: SENER 02 August 2018 – The engineering and technology group SENER and ACCIONA Industrial have achieved another relevant milestone initiating the salt melting process at the Kathu Solar Park Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant The molten salt will be used to store heat from the solar field that can later be recovered to produce steam and generate electricity in the absence of solar radiation extending the operational capacity of the plant after sunset and during cloudy weather Thanks to this molten salt storage system, that allows 4.5 hours of thermal energy storage, the Kathu Solar Park CSP Plant will supply clean energy to 179,000 homes. The plant uses SENERtrough®-2 collectors aimed at improving efficiency of the solar field The significance of this technology – SENERtrough®-2 and molten salt storage system – is that the CSP plant will not only supply power during sunny periods but as needed to satisfy the peak of demand without the considerable expense of battery storage SENER Regional Managing Director in Southern Africa commented: “The use of molten salt as thermal energy storage system will allow Kathu Solar Park to operate in a cost-effective manner our aim is to provide the most innovative technology being compliant with Health & Safety stringent standards to ensure an outstanding performance and thermal stability for a reliable and sustained energy supply.” Chief Operating Officer of ACCIONA Industrial said: “This project is technologically cutting-edge and the complexity of both engineering and construction is only comparable to large infrastructure projects we are committed to the social and economic development of the regions where our projects are located and the positive impact this plant is having in Kathu and the surrounding areas is a reason for us to continue executing these projects with these high quality standards Kathu Solar Park is one of the awarded projects in bid window 3.5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) led by the South African Department of Energy (DOE) The joint venture between SENER and ACCIONA Industrial was appointed by the ENGIE (engie-africa.com) led consortium to provide engineering Construction started on site in May 2016 and is due for completion within the next few months Approximately 1,400 jobs are being created during the construction phase What are the Pros and Cons of Longer Solar Contracts? Kathu, the iron ore capital of the Northern Cape province, is where condition monitoring specialist company, WearCheck While for many years there has been a WearCheck office in Kathu where used oil samples could be dropped off the nearest laboratory was in Johannesburg reducing turnaround time for local samples to 24 hours or less WearCheck is delighted to invest further in Kathu where local industry has given the company a warm welcome and support for more than a decade The company’s unique Kathu laboratory is created from three remodelled shipping containers WearCheck’s head office in Westville is where the distinctive mobile laboratories are compiled in repurposed shipping containers Kitted out with the latest laboratory instruments the labs also boast features such as ventilation is addressing the infrastructure deficit in Africa by providing world-class scientific analysis services in remote areas near mining and other industries ‘ While establishing a brick and mortar laboratory in certain locations is often hindered by the lack of basic infrastructure the container laboratories relatively simple to place in areas with limited resources ‘Ensuring consistently accurate test results is critical therefore each mobile laboratory remains connected to the WearCheck South Africa LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) WearCheck recently relocated its Johannesburg laboratory WSL (WearCheck specialist laboratory) as well as its dedicated divisions – asset reliability care (ARC) water analysis and lubricant-enabled reliability (LER) services – to a convenient WearCheck Johannesburg is truly a one-stop hub for customers which make use of more than one of our condition monitoring programmes,’ says Robinson WearCheck’s growing footprint extends across nine countries in Africa and beyond including many satellite offices and 15 world class laboratories