Page 12 - AfrElec Week 38 2022
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AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
Namibia issues 125-MW
generation and export licences to
Emesco’s Schonau Solar Energy
NAMIBIA THE Namibian Electricity Control Board (ECB) market, Emesco said in a press release.
has issued generation and export licences to The plant, located near the town of Karas-
Schonau Solar Energy (SSE) for a 125MW solar burg in the Kharas region of southern Namibia,
photovoltaic (PV) plant being developed by will have the DC nameplate capacity of 125MW,
renewable energy company, Emesco. which will result in 116MW AC net generation
These licences are the first of their size and for export. Over the 25-year life of the plant,
kind to be issued by the ECB under the Modified 7,898,064MWh will be produced resulting in
Single Buyer (MSB) framework, Africa Business the mitigation of 7,796,179 tonnes of carbon
Communities (ABC) reported on September 22. dioxide. The estimated project cost is $105mn,
The plant will generate electricity for 25 years Emesco said.
and will export its power via South Africa into According to Pinehas Mutota, general man-
the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), which ager of Economic Regulation at the ECB, the
operates four competitive electricity markets issuing of the generation and export licences to
between twelve member countries. Schonau and other players is an indication of the
The SAPP members include Namibia, South Namibian Government’s commitment to reduc-
Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Zimba- ing the power deficit in the region.
bwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, “The Schonau project is a major step towards
Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Namibia becoming a net exporter of energy
Congo (DRC), which are primarily represented through harnessing its abundant solar resource.
by each country’s national utility. The project will add to a diversified energy mix,
In addition, the SAPP is allowing private reduced costs, and decarbonisation in the South-
companies to trade electricity via its organised ern African Power Pool,” said Emesco’s commer-
markets, ABC said. Emesco’s registration of cial director, Pieter Rossouw.
SSE as a market participant on SAPP will make Emesco is developing its pipeline of similar
it the first independent solar power producer sized projects, including solar, wind and storage
to contribute to the SAPP grid under the MSB technologies, Roussow added, to provide renew-
framework. able energy to support the green hydrogen initi-
NamPower, the Namibian national power ative in Namibia and further expansion across
utility, together with SSE will co-ordinate the the SAPP.
export and trade of electricity on the SAPP
P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 38 22•September•2022
