A solar power plant in Namibia in the mining town of Arandis, this comes after Arandis Solar Energy which is an independent power producer, fruitfully tendered for the construction of the new power plant in 2015.
The new mega solar power plant in Namibia is projected to cost US$ 6m and will be constructed on a piece of land that measures 12.5 hectares which will afterwards be leased from Arandis Town Council.
The power purchase agreement (PPA) that was between two companies, Erongo Red and OLC Arandis Solar Energy that was recently signed at Walvis Bay will end in the new 3.4 megawatt (MW) solar-powered plant.
Erongo Red Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Robert Kahimise confirmed the reports and said that the initiative of the power plant is expected to save the regional electricity distributor close to US$ 430, 000 annually and an estimated US$ 9m over a 25-year period.
Mr. Kahimise further stated that the signing of the PPA marks a very important milestone for Erongo Red which he says is continuously seeking ways to make power supply more affordable. According to him, the Electricity Control Board will provide regulatory oversight.
“The Arandis Solar project will not only ease Erongo Red’s electricity bill from Nampower but will also allow electricity consumers to have access to clean energy at a reasonable price. Personally, I feel like the signing of this agreement is a good a promising step and it came at the right time when we are shifting our focus to renewable energy as we diversify our energy mix such as wind, solar and biomass,” he said.
OLC Arandis Solar Energy will be the registered operator of the plant and the seller of generated power.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the new solar plant will take place in November this year.