Solarcentury Africa and SolNam have secured a generation licence from Namibia’s Electricity Control Board (ECB) to build a 60 MWp solar project in the southern part of the country.

UK-headquartered renewables developer Solarcentury Africa and SolNam Energy are set to proceed with the construction of a 60 MWp solar project in southern Namibia, near the town of Keetmanshoop, after signing a joint development agreement in early 2023.

The project will be Solarcentury Africa’s second merchant project in Namibia, following a 20 MWp solar plant that is due to start construction in the coming months.

The developer said it believes “the merchant route opens the opportunity to deliver significant new renewable power generation capacity quickly and cost effectively.” Its stated goal is to become a leading power trader in southern Africa by leveraging its PV and energy storage development expertise and ability to deploy significant capital via its parent company, BB Energy.

For the 60 MW project, the partners have secured land near the Kokerboom substation and obtained the required environmental clearance certificate. They are targeting a financial close this year.

“The welcomed news that we have now received our updated generation licence from ECB is an important milestone for the project and underlines Namibia’s commitment to renewable energy and to this project,” said Solarcentury Africa CEO Jason de Carteret.

Namibia recorded 176 MW of installed PV capacity at the end of 2022, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The country launched a tender for a range of renewable energy projects, including solar, wind and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in December.

In July, state-owned utility NamPower launched a tender for a contractor to build a 70 MW solar farm in the southern mining town of Rosh Pinah.