State-owned utility Namibia Power Corp. (NamPower) has launched a tender inviting consultants to provide services for a range of renewable energy projects in the southwestern African country.

The projects span PV, wind and BESS, and sit under the banner of the Namibia Renewable Energy Scale-Up Support Project, according to tender documents.

Services include an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for a PV/BESS project at an undisclosed location; and site studies for a PV/BESS project at another undisclosed location. It also includes an ESIA and environmental and social assessment (SESA) for a wind power facility at the Tsau Khaeb national park located in the country’s east; and site studies for a wind power facility at another undisclosed location.

The deadline for applications is Feb. 16, 2024.

In Feb. 2023, the World Bank provided NamPower a $4.44 million grant to help the country become the first net zero emissions nation in Africa while building jobs and resources, according to World Bank documents.

The money will provide Namibia with technical assistance to develop “sustainable and bankable” renewable energy projects. Funds will pay for detailed studies and “risk allocation frameworks” to support public investment and mitigate private sector participation risk.

In July, NamPower launched a tender for a contractor to build a 70 MW solar farm in the southern mining town of Rosh Pinah. Last month construction also started in Namibia on the continent's first decarbonised iron plant powered totally by green hydrogen, reported Reuters.

Just over half (55%) of Namibia’s 2.53 million population had access to electricity in 2021, with 38% of the country's energy derived from renewables but most (76%) being bioenergy, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The country recorded 176 MW of installed PV capacity at the end of last year, according to IRENA’s latest statistics.