Rosh Pinah — NamPower recently made history by breaking ground for the biggest solar power plant ever to be constructed in the country, constituting an investment of N$1.6 billion. The historic groundbreaking ceremony took place last week for the 100 MV Sores IGaib, outside the southern town of Rosh Pinah, for the solar power station.
IGaib means ‘Power of the Sun’ in Khoekhoegowab.
The N$1.6 billion infrastructure is scheduled to be completed over a period of 18 months by China Jiangxi International Corporation in a joint venture with Chint New Energy Development, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor to whom the bid has been awarded by NamPower.
The agreement further stipulates that the contractor will monitor possible defects for another two years after completion of the project.
Delivering his statement, the national electricity utility’s managing director (MD), Kahenge Haulofu regarded the groundbreaking as a turning page in Namibia’s journey towards cleaner, greener and sustainable energy.
“It further represents progress and a long-term commitment to the sustainable development of our country, ” he informed those in attendance.
Haulofu continued: “As part of our Strategic Business Plan, NamPower made a commitment in undertaking that it will ensure security of electricity supply for the country through a least-cost supply mix, by diversifying the local energy mix and increasing local generation capacity via the implementation of strategic and affordable generation, projects.”
The MD further stated that, when completed, the project will contribute significantly to the country’s national energy mix, displacing a significant amount of imported energy and reducing its reliance on fossil fuels, in the process further contributing to a great extend to Namibia’s economic development, energy independence and climate resilience as spin-offs.
“At NamPower, we believe that energy is not just about infrastructure, but rather about the impact on households that gain access to sustainable energy, businesses that will thrive because of reliable electricity and communities that gain new economic opportunities,” said Haulofu. In conclusion, he expressed hope that the groundbreaking ceremony will mark the beginning of a brighter future, powered by the sun, built by Namibians and that it will inspire future generations.
During a technical presentation, NamPower’s senior manager for Generation Projects, Ben Mingeli, explained that once completed, the project will provide electricity to 123 000 houses per annum. “During construction, we anticipated to create between 300-400 jobs, of which semi-low-skilled labour will be reserved for residents of the//Kharas region whilst the total labour force will make up for 90% Namibians,” he added. Mingeli also said the contractor will be committed to ensure 25% local content (N$323 million) during the procurement of goods and services, which will be tracked by regular audits to ensure compliance thereof by NamPower.
Asked whether the project can also cater for Oranjemund, Haulofu explained there is a need for serious negotiations between NamPower and other stakeholders to investigate this possibility.
“Although the town is currently supplied with electricity from Eskom in nearby South Africa, I cannot see why this cannot be looked at since, during heavy rains in our Ruacana plant, a lot of electricity can be generated that might be exported, whilst we perhaps could have supplied Oranjemund with some of it,” he responded.
This latest solar power project is funded through a combination of a loan from KfW (German Development Bank, equivalent to about N$1,3 billion) and the remainder from NamPower’s own reserves. The commercial operation date of the power station is set for June 2026.
Also, through the project’s Environmental and Social Management Plan, the company has made firm commitments to preserve the integrity of the environment through protecting biodiversity and promoting responsible labour and community engagement practices.
