Pictured here are the representatives of NamPower and KfW at the loan agreement signing for Rosh Pinah Solar Plant in Namibia. (Photo Credit: NamPower, Facebook)  
Markets

Africa Solar PV News Snippets: Germany To Fund Namibia’s Largest Solar Park & More

GreenGo Energy Plans RE-Powered Green Hydrogen & Green Steel Production In Namibia; JinkoSolar Supplies Modules & Energy Storage System In Nigeria.

Anu Bhambhani

100 MW solar plant in Namibia: The Namibian power utility NamPower has secured NAD 1.3 billion ($72.6 million) loan from the German Development Bank KfW for the country’s largest solar power plant. The 100 MW Rosh Pinah Solar PV Project will come up close to the town of Rosh Pinah town, near existing power grid that will save costs on laying new transmission lines. The German loan will cover around 80% of the total cost of the project that has helped expand the project capacity from 70 MW earlier to 100 MW now. NamPower will pool in the remaining 20% investment required. It has also signed on China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co. Ltd and Chint New Energy Development (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd Joint Venture to build the project. Commercial operations are expected to start from Q2 2026.   

According to the utility, “Once operational, the facility will contribute to energy security and help diversify the energy mix in Namibia, while setting an example for future projects, proving that large-scale renewable energy is both viable and essential.” 

GreenGo ventures into Namibia: Denmark-headquartered renewable energy company GreenGo Energy has signed a strategic partnership agreement with local Namibian developer InnoSun Energy Holdings to co-develop solar and wind energy projects in the African country. This will enable the production of green hydrogen in the country. Additionally, it will be signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with local iron mining company Lodestone at the Global African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek being held in Namibia from September 9 to 11, 2024. The Lodestone agreement will see the companies exploding innovative solutions to integrate green hydrogen into the steel production process. Green steel will help position Namibia as a key player in the global market for sustainable metals, attracting investment and driving economic growth, stated GreenGo.       

The Founder and CEO of GreenGo Karsten Nielsen said, “Looking ahead, GreenGo Energy intends to actively participate in Namibia’s upcoming tender process for green hydrogen. We are excited about the prospect of developing new integrated solar PV, wind, and hydrogen projects under our Megaton product brand, that will contribute to the country's energy security and economic growth.” 

Solar & storage in Nigeria: Chinese solar PV manufacturer JinkoSolar has completed the delivery of its 1st Blue Whale SunTera large-scale energy storage system in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is part of the National Grand Theater Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Project in Lagos, Nigeria. The project was jointly built by JinkoSolar’s partner Solarmate Engineering Limited and the owner of the National Grand Theater Sanef Creatives Limited. It uses JinkoSolar’s high-efficiency all-black 425 W PV modules and 2.0 MW/4.8 MWh large-scale energy storage system.