NamPower, Namibia’s state-owned utility company, has announced a deal with two Chinese firms to construct Namibia’s largest solar power plant.
According to Reuters, the country is currently dependent on imports from Zambia and South Africa. However, the solar plant offers a potential boost of 100MW to its 500MW existing energy capacity.
According to International Trade Administration statistics, under 10% of rural households can currently access electricity via the grid or local power generation – up to 60% of households in Namibia are off-grid.
The country also has one of the highest levels of solar radiation, which offers clean and efficient access for affordable electricity to these households. Despite this, the initial financial cost to installing solar is a hurdle for these households.
German development bank KfW will provide around 80% of the 1.4bn Namibian dollars needed to develop the solar power plant. The remaining cost will be provided by NamPower.
Alongside the German bank, two Chinese companies will take on construction: China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co. Ltd and Chint New Energy Development (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd.
Construction is expected to be completed in 18 months, with operations anticipated for 2026.
