Namibia’s power generation and transmission utility company NamPower has announced plans to implement six new power generation projects. NamPower managing director Simson Haulofu made the announcement and said that the country is need of sufficient supply of electricity to meet its development goals.
“NamPower’s planned generation project portfolio, which includes the two 20MW solar PV power plants, is aimed at filling that supply gap and ensuring a reliable supply of electricity,” said Haulofu during the signing of a 25-year power purchase agreement with Access Aussenkjer Solar One Namibia for the development of a 20MW solar PV project near Khan Substation, approximately 45km west of Usakos.
NamPower also signed an engineering, procurement and construction agreement with the joint venture between Hopsol Africa (Pty) Ltd and Tulive Private Equity for the construction of the 20MW Omburu Solar PV project, about 12km south-east of Omaruru.
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Fifth National Development Plan
“The two 20MW solar projects will contribute greatly towards reducing the overall NamPower tariff to the customer by introducing an affordable ‘new-build’ renewable energy to the Namibian grid,” said the MD.
The power utility would own and operate the 20MW Omburu Solar PV power plant. NamPower would fund the construction of this plant at an estimated cost of over US $21.5m. This plant, together with a 40MW NamPower biomass power project near Tsumeb, a 40MW wind power plant near Lüderitz and a 50MW NamPower Anixas II plant at Walvis Bay, which will be fuelled with diesel and natural gas, would be funded from the company’s balance sheet.
Upon completion, the generation projects are expected to add 220MW to the national grid. This would bring Namibia’s installed power generation capacity to 751MW, meeting the fifth National Development Plan target of 750MW.
Furthermore, NamPower plans to invite bids from independent power producers (IPPs) later this year for the development and operation of a 50MW wind power plant, which will also be near Lüderitz.
According to Haulofu, NamPower has approved several transmission projects, as part of corporate strategy and business plan, that it plans to build in the next five years to strengthen the Namibian grid and to dispatch the power generated from the six new generation projects.