Alten’s 45.45MW Namibian solar plant ready to go live

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Alten was chosen by NamPower to build the 45.45MW project at a tender over two years ago (Credit: Alten Energías Renovables)

One of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest reported PV plants is ready to be powered up some 230 kilometres south of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital.

Spanish IPP Alten Energías Renovables anticipated this week the imminent commissioning of a 45.45MW project in the municipality of Mariental, in Namibia’s Hardap region.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The firm was selected for the project more than two years, when it prevailed over 12 other bidding developers at a tender by state-run utility NamPower.

The project features crystalline silicon panels, as well as single-axis trackers from Soltec. Astronergy and Gamesa supplied the project with 325Wp modules and 2.5MVA inverters, respectively.

Designed with a 25-year lifespan, the project was as of last March co-owned between Alten Africa (51% stake), NamPower (19%) and a group of women-led local investors (30%).

The installation was said last year to have required around US$70 million in investment, with funding provided by the South African Standard Bank and a subsidiary of French development financier AFP.

The PV project is being touted by its promoters as one of sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest and one of the world’s most efficient, thanks to Namibia’s solid irradiation levels.

The plant was conceived to cover the electricity needs of 70,000 people, around 3% of Namibia’s population. The country boasts high electrification rates but heavily relies on energy imports, Alten noted.

The project is the latest to make strides in the African state. In the last 18 months alone, Canadian Solar’s 6MW project, a PV-HFO hybrid, solar heaters and C&I systems have all marked progress.

Read Next

June 10, 2025
Australia’s Queensland government has confirmed an AU$2.4 billion investment in the CopperString transmission project, aiming to extend the National Electricity Market (NEM) to the North West Minerals Province.
June 9, 2025
Sonnedix has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Renfe to supply 420GWh of renewable energy annually for its commercial operations.
June 9, 2025
Growing political headwinds threaten to dent US solar manufacturing and project deployment, despite a strong start to 2025.
June 6, 2025
rPlus Energies has secured more than US$500 million for an 800MW solar-plus-storage project in Emery County, Utah, US.  
June 6, 2025
Australia’s Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has called on Australia’s climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, to “urgently intervene” on a rule change that could threaten to derail the uptake of rooftop solar PV.
June 6, 2025
ElectraNet has revealed that renewables supplied 100% of South Australia's electricity demand for 27% of 2024, roughly 99 days.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece