HyMATE at Kathu Solar Park

HyMATE

Showcase Kathu Solar Park

Kathu Solar Park – A Flagship Renewable Energy Project in South Africa

Kathu Solar Park is one of the largest and most advanced solar power plants in South Africa, located in the Northern Cape. The park is an innovative Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant utilizing parabolic trough technology to generate electricity for the grid. The project plays a key role in the country’s transition to renewable energy and is a critical part of South Africa’s efforts to meet its climate goals.

With a total capacity of 100 MW, Kathu Solar Park uses thermal energy storage, which allows it to provide electricity even when the sun is not shining. The facility provides clean, reliable energy to about 179,000 households and contributes significantly to the reduction of carbon emissions.

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Impact

By integrating HyMATE’s hydrogen mitigation technology, Kathu Solar Park is setting a new operational benchmark for CSP plants. The system ensures long-term plant health by minimizing hydrogen in HTF, reducing performance losses, lowering maintenance costs, and protecting receivers.

This proactive step strengthens Kathu’s role as a leader in sustainability, innovation, and risk management.

Installation

At Kathu Solar Park, the HyMATE hydrogen mitigation system will be installed in the gas loop of the plant’s expansion system, close to the expansion vessel. From here, it continuously removes hydrogen from the HTF headspace gas before it can damage receivers.

Key features

Custom-sized for Kathu’s HTF volume and extraction needs
Fully containerized, pre-assembled, and certified in Germany
Plug-and-play – quick connection and immediate operation
Easy placement – minimal civil works required
Protected housing with side openings for easy maintenance
Environmentally friendly – only by-product is clean water vapor

Objectives

Over 95% hydrogen reduction efficiency to protect receivers and maintain HTF quality

Continuous real-time monitoring of hydrogen levels
Integration into the plant’s operational system for seamless performance tracking
Easy and remote control for efficient operation from anywhere
Long-term performance optimization and reduced operational costs
Extended equipment life through preventive hydrogen management
Reliable receiver protection against performance losses and premature wear
On-site inauguration planned for Spring 2026

Tailored Assessment

At CSP Services, we offer a free, customized cost-benefit analysis to determine if HyMATE is the right solution for your parabolic trough plant.The study covers:

Plant-specific assessment – we analyze hydrogen concentrations, receiver performance, and operational conditions
Comparison with all major known mitigation measures – so you see how HyMATE stacks up against alternative solutions.
Economic impact evaluation – considering potential maintenance cost savings, extended equipment life, and performance improvements

Our free analysis gives you clear, data-driven insights into the technical and financial benefits of hydrogen mitigation — so you can make the best choice for your plant’s future.

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How HyMATE works

This project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme of the German Energy Solutions Initiative.

German Energy Agency (dena)

The German Energy Agency (dena) is a centre of excellence for the applied energy transition and climate protection. dena studies the challenges of building a climate-neutral society and supports the German government in achieving its energy and climate policy objectives. Since its foundation in 2000, dena has worked to develop and implement solutions and bring together national and international partners from politics, industry, the scientific community and all parts of society. dena is a project enterprise and a public company owned by the German federal government. dena’s shareholder is the Federal Republic of Germany.

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German Energy Solutions Initiative

With the aim of positioning German technologies and know-how worldwide, the German Energy Solutions Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) supports suppliers of climate-friendly energy solutions in opening up foreign markets. The focus lies on renewable energies, energy efficiency, smart grids and storage, as well as technologies such as power-to-gas and fuel cells. Aimed in particular at small and medium-sized enterprises, the German Energy Solutions Initiative supports participants through measures to prepare market entry as well as to prospect, develop and secure new markets.

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Renewable Energy Solutions Programme (RES Programme)

With the RES programme, the German Energy Solutions Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) helps German companies in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors enter new markets. Within the framework of the programme, reference plants are installed and marketed with the support of the German Energy Agency (dena). Information and training activities help ensure a sustainable market entry and demonstrate the quality of climate-friendly technologies made in Germany.

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