- EMESCO receives approval from the Namibian authorities to build a 125 MWp solar power plant in Karasburg.
- EMESCO’s output will be fed into the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
Emerging Markets Energy Services Company (EMESCO) becomes the first independent power producer (IPP) to receive approval from the authorities to connect a power plant directly to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). As a result, Schonau Solar Energy, its subsidiary, is granted licences by the Electricity Control Board of Namibia (ECB) to build a 125 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant. The company will build the plant in the southern Namibia town of Karasburg.
Following the Modified Single Buyer Scheme, EMESCO is building the facility (MSB). The framework established by the government of Namibia intends to motivate IPPs to finance renewable energy projects and market their output to the utility. And in contrast to the previous model, the MSB enables EMESCO to produce power in Namibia and supply it to the local common market SAPP.
Under the supervision of the Southern African Development Community, the SAPP, into which EMESCO aims to sell its power, is a collaboration between the state-owned power firms of 12 nations (SADC). The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and others are all connected by this power pool.
SAPP has brought together only the public power firms in member nations. However, through Schonau Solar Energy, the sub-regional cooperation is gradually becoming accessible to private businesses like EMESCO. Its sale of energy to SAPP will be managed by the Namibia Power Corporation, a government-owned company (NamPower). Its project is expected to cost $105 million in total.