- Solarcentury and SolNam signed a Joint Development Agreement in early 2023 to co-develop the project.
- Solarcentury’s membership in the Southern African Power Pool as a market participant made the strategy possible.
Solarcentury Africa and SolNam have announced that they have received an updated generation license from the Electricity Control Board (ECB) to build the SolNam 60 MWp solar project in southern Namibia, near Keetmanshoop. The two companies previously signed a Joint Development Agreement in early 2023 to co-develop the project. The project has land secured near the Kokerboom sub-station, obtained the required environmental clearance certificate from MEFT in 2022 and is targeting a financial close in 2024.
Solarcentury Africa, part of BB Energy and SolNam, aims to develop various renewable energy assets in Southern Africa to provide more power to a region that is currently experiencing a power deficit. As a merchant plant that can supply power to the power grid, the project will help Namibia improve its energy resilience, reach its climate change targets, and transition away from fossil fuels, which it has committed to under the recent COP28 framework in Dubai.
This project will be Solarcentury Africa’s second merchant project in Namibia, primarily focused on supplying Namibian customers. It follows the 20 MWp Gerus solar PV plant that is due to enter construction in the coming months. Solarcentury’s membership in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) as a market participant, announced in November 2023, made the strategy possible. The SAPP membership and the continued development of the SolNam project are essential steps in the growth of Solarcentury Africa’s power trading business in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.