This is it. Work has started on the Khan solar project site in the Erongo province of Namibia. The ground-breaking ceremony took place on Tuesday, 29 March 2022 in the presence of officials from the state-owned Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower). The project involves the construction of a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 20 MWp.
“The Khan solar project is a significant contribution to the realisation of NamPower’s capacity expansion, which is part of our integrated strategy and business plan,” says the state-owned power company. The project is being developed by Access Aussenkehr Solar One Namibia in the Usakos locality. The Namibia-based independent power producer (IPP) will invest no less than N$300 million (more than US$20.6 million), according to NamPower.
Diversifying Namibia’s electricity mix
Access Aussenkehr Solar has awarded the construction (EPC) of its solar plant to HopSol. Under the contract, the Windhoek, Namibia-based company will install 33,000 solar panels, 100 inverters and related equipment on a 16-hectare site. In order to optimise its production, the plant will be equipped with 67 single-axis trackers that allow the attached solar panels to follow the sun’s movement from east to west.
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The electricity generated at Khan will be sold to NamPower under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The price per kWh of electricity has been set at $0.495. The project developer has previously planned to commission the plant in 2022. The project is in line with Namibia’s energy policy to generate 70% of its electricity from renewable sources.
With an installed capacity of 680 MW, Namibia produces 70% of its electricity from renewable sources, including solar, hydro and wind. But the country imports 60% of its electricity from South Africa, through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) according to Power Africa. However, more than 80% of South Africa’s state-owned Eskom’s electricity network is powered by coal-fired power stations.
Jean Marie Takouleu