Longstanding plans by the City of Windhoek to construct its own photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant are back on the drawing board with the city now exploring the possibility of setting up a 100 megawatt solar farm.
Initially, the city had considered setting up a 25 MW plant but is now considering a larger plant, and has gone on tender to seek specialised consultancy services to carry out a technical and commercial integration study for a solar PV plant with or without battery storage.
The solar power project stems from a 2021 bid by the City of Windhoek seeking an Independent Power Producer (IPP) to finance, procure, install, commission, and operate a 25MW solar PV plant on a build-own-operate basis for 25 years.
Windhoek Municipality Chief Executive Officer, Moses Matyayi, said recently that the renewable energy project had undergone detailed reviews over the years aimed at ensuring that it complies fully with legal and City of Windhoek procurement requirements before final approval.
The timelines for the solar project remain vague, but the City of Windhoek has in the meantime issued an expression of interest for a potential partner in the PPP that will commission the project.
In 2017, the Windhoek Municipal Council approved the city’s Renewable Energy Policy to guide the development of renewable energy and increase its share in the Municipality’s electricity mix. The solar PV project is one of the main outcomes of this policy and is being implemented under the Public-Private Partnership Act No. 4 of 2017.
Although the city’s Renewable Energy Policy provides for the uptake of solar photovoltaic installations at customer level by means of Net Metering, a solar PV plant has been on the agenda for the last few years with the city having earmarked it as one of its key priority focus areas.
A recent annual report of the Municipality listed the solar power generation plant as one of city’s six top priority objectives. The city views its abundant solar resource as a clear indicator that renewable energy represents a valuable economic resource which should be exploited for the benefit of Windhoek residents.
“Windhoek will intensify efforts to establish its own solar power generation plant. Our priorities which are set to make positive inroads into the provision of basic services, employment creation and the preservation of our residents’ dignity are reflective of the burning needs of our community,” a City of Windhoek councillor said.
Windhoek’s renewable energy generation plan also aims to reduce the city’s reliance on NamPower generated electricity by allowing consumers to generate their own electricity through small-scale embedded generation, and for the city to invest in its renewable energy plant to generate electricity.
With the city’s electricity demand forecasted to outstrip the existing installed capacity, Windhoek is, therefore, under pressure to bring new capacity online.
