WINDHOEK, June 24 — Namibia is set to develop a new 5 MW solar plant at the Trekkopje site just northeast of Arandis in the Erongo Region, from where power will be supplied to the Erongo Desalination Plant (EDP), an announcement said Thursday.
The announcement follows the inking of a 10-year power purchase agreement between, Orano Mining Namibia and InnoSun Energy Holding, the Namibian subsidiary of the French independent energy producer, InnoVent.
“The agreement includes the establishment of a 5 MW solar plant situated at the coast 35 km north of Swakopmund. Under the agreement, InnoSun will design, construct and operate the solar plant,” Orano Namibia spokesperson, Christine de Klerk said.
Construction will commence in the second half of 2022 and the plant is expected to be operational toward the end of 2023, she said.
“The plant will enable Orano to make the provision of water to the Erongo Region from a green electricity source more affordable in the long term, and contribute greatly to efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the EDP,” she added.
Once commissioned, the plant is expected to reduce energy costs with the desalination process, and lower annual greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, which is equivalent to 9,722 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions, she concluded.
Namibia is a net importer of electricity from South Africa and the Southern African Power Pool. The Namibian government has committed itself to increasing the share of renewable energy in electricity production to 70 percent by 2030. (Xinhua)
