By:Nghiinomenwa-vali Erastus
O&L Nexentury’s planned N$1 billion solar plant will be connected to one of Nampower’s largest substations and feed in the country grid.
The plant, which will be the country’s largest, will contribute to the local generation as an independent power producers.
O&L Nexentury announced this in a statement on Friday, stating that “the electricity generated is intended to be used locally by industrial energy users such as mining companies, Regional Electricity Distributors and Nampower.”
Furthermore, the company intends to export part of its power to the Southern African Power Pool.
Once operational, it will be the country’s biggest renewable project complementing the country’s Omburu 20 MW PV Power Project, which contributed 4.6% and 1.8% to the national grid in April and March, with the Ruacana Hydro Power Stationcovering 60% of the requirement during the period.
The company just received its generation licence and export licence from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Electricity Control Board, and will start with its investment in a 100-Megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant just outside of Windhoek.
Both licences are valid for 25 years.
Currently, Namibia has 24 operational solar PV generational licences with an installed capacity of 170 MW. Once the O&L Nexentury plant comes into full operation this could increase to 270MW of installed capacity.
The local production of electricity for April 2023 stood at 232,039 MWh(megawatt-hour), with the Ruacana Hydro Power Station produced the most electricity 199,437 (85.9%), followed by the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) which collectively generated 28,333 MWh (12.2%) of electricity.
As of March 2023, the local production of electricity stood at 116,256 MWh with the Ruacana power station producing electricity of 71,880 MWh (61.8%).
The IPP came through strongly in March 2023, collectively generating 34,727 MWh (29.9%) of electricity.
According to Bernd Walbaum, Managing Director of O&L Nexentury, Phase I of the solar plant is expected to be running by mid-2024.
“This is a most exciting project we are embarking on as we expand clean energy supply in Namibia and beyond our borders,” he said.
Walbaum explained that as part of the O&L Group Purpose, ‘Creating a future, enhancing life’, the project promises to contribute to the generation of renewable energy in the country.
At the same time, he highlight the Group’s commitment to expanding clean and sustainable energy solutions.
O&L Nexentury, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, was also granted the necessary permits and licences to build Germany’s largest floating solar PV plant of 15 Megawatts on a gravel lake in the central part of Germany.
As a vertically integrated developer of renewable energy projects, O&L Nexentury is active in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, as well as West Africa and Europe.
The company offers engineering, procurement, construction, and operation &maintenance services and has a pipeline of various exciting projects, including the development of PV solar plants to power the production of Green Hydrogen. Email: erastus@thevillager.com.na
