NamPower to own, operate solar power plant
NamPower to own, operate solar power plant

NamPower to own, operate solar power plant

The new power plant will be able to supply 16 000 homes with electricity every year.
Jo-Mare Duddy Booysen
NamPower will own and operate its own solar photovoltaic power plant by November 2021, according to its managing director, Simson Haulofu.

Haulofu made these remarks on Wednesday at the signing of the agreement for the construction of the Omburu solar PV project 12 km outside Omaruru in the Erongo region.

“The construction of the power plant will be based on the lump-sum turn-key basis, where the joint venture of HopSol and Tulive Private Equity will be appointed to design, procure, construct, commission, test and handover the solar PV plant to NamPower. The bid was awarded to the joint venture of Hopsol and Tulive Private Equity for a total amount of N$317 million excluding value added tax,” he said.

On completion the Omburu project will have a net generation capacity of 20 MW, producing a total of 64 GWh annually. It will be equivalent to supplying an average of 16 000 Namibian homes annually.

The project site will be located adjacent to the NamPower Omburu transmission station. The project will employ approximately 330 people during the peak construction period.

“With regard to local content and capacity building, it is estimated that 37% of the project’s capital expenditure will be spent on local Namibian content, where all semi-skilled and unskilled labour will be recruited from the local community,” Haulofu said.

BUSINESS PLAN

A power purchase agreement and transmission connection agreement was signed on Monday with Access Aussenkehr Solar One Namibia for the development of a 20 MW solar PV power plant near the Khan sub-station, situated approximately 45 km west of Usakos.

Haulofu said the projects were initiated in 2018 when NamPower crafted its new corporate strategy and business plan for the period 2019 to 2023.

Several transmission projects which were also approved as part of the NamPower’s corporate strategy and business plan will be built in the next five years in order to strengthen the Namibian grid and to dispatch the power generated from six new generation projects to NamPower customers.

“In order to fulfill the country’s development goals, we need sufficient supply of electricity as the country continues to import a significant share of its electricity needs from SADC,” said Haulofu. - Nampa

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-23

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