Solar power plant goes online
The four-month construction project at the southern mining town created 150 temporary and six permanent jobs.
A five-megawatt solar energy plant built at Rosh Pinah by Aloe Energy Investment has been completed.
The plant was constructed at a cost of N$124 million by the Namibian start-up in partnership with Spanish company AEE Power.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the initiative was held at the zinc-mining town in February, followed by the construction process from April until July.
In an update to the !Karas Regional Council on Tuesday, the company's managing director, Shitongeni Kakehongo, said the plant would be inaugurated next month.
Generated energy started flowing into the NamPower national grid around 16 July already, he said.
Shitongeni said 150 temporary jobs were created during the construction phase, while six employees were retained on a permanent basis for the maintenance of the plant.
“As per the mandate from the regional council, the jobs were given to local people of the region and we remain proud to be involved in Namibian skills transfer and development,” he said.
Shitongeni expressed interest on behalf of his company to establish more such plants in the !Karas Region.
“The region has one of the highest rates of radiation in the world and this should be taken advantage of,” he said, explaining that the plant uses rotating solar panels that follow the direction of the sun.
The plant was built on public land made available by the regional council.
The panels, inverters and transformers were imported by Aloe and its technical partner and investor, AEE from Germany, while materials and equipment were transported through the Walvis Bay and Lüderitz harbours, Shitongeni said.
The project is one of 14 renewable-energy projects commissioned under a feed-in tariff programme initiated by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Electricity Control Board.
NAMPA
The plant was constructed at a cost of N$124 million by the Namibian start-up in partnership with Spanish company AEE Power.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the initiative was held at the zinc-mining town in February, followed by the construction process from April until July.
In an update to the !Karas Regional Council on Tuesday, the company's managing director, Shitongeni Kakehongo, said the plant would be inaugurated next month.
Generated energy started flowing into the NamPower national grid around 16 July already, he said.
Shitongeni said 150 temporary jobs were created during the construction phase, while six employees were retained on a permanent basis for the maintenance of the plant.
“As per the mandate from the regional council, the jobs were given to local people of the region and we remain proud to be involved in Namibian skills transfer and development,” he said.
Shitongeni expressed interest on behalf of his company to establish more such plants in the !Karas Region.
“The region has one of the highest rates of radiation in the world and this should be taken advantage of,” he said, explaining that the plant uses rotating solar panels that follow the direction of the sun.
The plant was built on public land made available by the regional council.
The panels, inverters and transformers were imported by Aloe and its technical partner and investor, AEE from Germany, while materials and equipment were transported through the Walvis Bay and Lüderitz harbours, Shitongeni said.
The project is one of 14 renewable-energy projects commissioned under a feed-in tariff programme initiated by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Electricity Control Board.
NAMPA
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