The contract for the implementation of the Kokerboom solar project that entails the construction of an 18.5 MWp capacity solar photovoltaic power plant in Karas, an area in Namibia that already has a number of renewable energy facilities including the 10 MWp Ejuva (2) solar power plants under development or in-service, has been awarded.
The contract was awarded to Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power (ANIREP), a Namibian company that operates in the electric power generation industry with its head office in Windhoek.
Speaking on the appointment, Iyaloo Nangolo, ANIREP’s managing director, said that the project had been granted through a bidding procedure, subject to the successful negotiation of a power purchase agreement (PPA). He explained that their mission was to feed the power generated into the national grid using a modified single-buyer model.
The IPP will invest at least about US$19 million in the Kokerboom solar power plant’s development.
Kokerboom Solar Project to help reduce Nambias dependency on neighbouring countries for electricity
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Overall, the development of the Kokerboom solar power plant is consistent with Namibia’s energy policy, which seeks to minimize the Central African country’s reliance on neighbouring countries.
According to Power Africa, Namibia has a total installed capacity of 680 MW, 517 MW of which is generated by renewable sources. However, 68% of the country’s power is imported from South Africa under a deal with the national utility Eskom. The Southern African Power Pool feeds this power onto the Namibian system (SAPP).
