NAMIBIA – Solarcentury Africa Limited has reached financial close for a pioneering 20 MWp solar PV project in Namibia.
This facility, developed in partnership with local firm Sino Energy (Pty) Ltd, will be the first fully merchant solar power plant in Southern Africa, selling all of its energy directly on the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) without a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
CEO of Solarcentury Africa, Jason De Carteret, described the project as a regional milestone, “This trading model offers a flexible alternative to traditional energy procurement, allowing Solarcentury to trade directly into the grid without the need for long-term PPAs or sovereign guarantees, enabling faster and more agile deployment of renewable energy.”
Located between Otjiwarongo and Outjo, in Namibia’s Otjozondjupa region, the plant will be fully owned and funded by Solarcentury Africa.
Upon completion, the facility is expected to generate 51 GWh of clean electricity annually, offsetting approximately 8,600 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
Solarcentury anticipates commissioning the project by Q3 2025, with its trading arm, Solarcentury Trading, managing the energy sales through the SAPP.
With a project investment nearing US$20 million, it represents one of the largest British investments in Namibia to date.
Alensy Energy Solutions Pty Limited, a leading Namibian EPC contractor, has been appointed to construct the facility, which will provide over 150 local jobs during its construction phase.
Solarcentury Africa has secured all necessary approvals, including a generation license from the Electricity Control Board of Namibia, connection agreements from NamPower, and an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the Ministry of Environment.
The project has also received backing from the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB).
Sino Energy’s Ferdinand Nghiyolwa emphasized the broader implications, “This project underscores Namibia’s dedication to renewable energy and highlights the potential of the SAPP market. We are proud to collaborate with Solarcentury Africa on this transformative energy solution.”
This project reflects Namibia’s efforts to increasing its renewable energy capacity. In September, NamPower partnered with two Chinese companies to commence the construction of the country’s largest solar power plant.
The move, as reported by Reuters, is set to bolster Namibia’s power generation capacity by an additional 100MW, a significant increase to its current total installed capacity of 500MW.
Valued at N$1.4bn (US$78.3m), the project will reduce Namibia’s reliance on electricity imports from neighbouring countries such as Zambia and South Africa.
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