Namibian utility NamPower has advanced plans for a 100MW solar PV project with the agreement of a financing deal and the appointment of contractors to build the plant.
NamPower yesterday signed a NAD1.3 billion (US$72.8 million) loan agreement with the German development bank, KfW, to finance 80% of the Rosh Pinah project, with the remainder coming from its own balance sheet.
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When plans for Rish Pinah were first revealed last year, the project was slated at 70MW, but the loan facility will enable it to be extended to 100MW, making it the south-east African country’s largest PV power plant.
NamPower said the project site near the southern town of Rosh Pinah offered “excellent” conditions for solar generation, while its proximity to Namibia’s main power network meant additional investment would not be needed to connect the project to the grid.
In a separate announcement, NamPower said earlier this week that it had engaged two Chinese firms as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors to build Rosh Pinah.
Under the NAD1.4 million EPC contract, China Jiangxi International and Chint New Energy Development will work jointly on the project, which will take around 18 months to complete.
With Namibia relying heavily on electricity imports from neighbouring South Africa and Botswana, Rosh Pinah is expected to stabilise future electricity tariffs.
“The investment will contribute to managing and regulating future increases in electricity tariffs,” said NamPower managing director Kahenge Haulofu. “This will not only benefit individual consumers by lowering increases to their electricity bills but also contribute to the overall economic growth and environmental sustainability.”
The project’s commercial operation is anticipated for the second quarter of 2026. NamPower has already invested in a number of solar projects in the country, including a 45.45MW project in the Hardap region.
