While Omburu, Namibia’s first solar park, celebrated its 10th anniversary a few weeks ago, the Sorexa solar power plant, our fifth in Namibia, is now coming online.
The electrification of the West Coast continues
The Sorexa power plant is located in Trekkopje, in the Erongo region, north-west of the capital Windhoek. The park will be connected to the Trekkopje substation. It will be developed in several phases over the coming years.
Phase 1, with a capacity of 9.8 MWp, is now operational. More than 14,000 photovoltaic panels mounted on trackers have already been installed on the Namibian coast.
What is a solar panel on a tracker?
A tracker allows a photovoltaic panel to be mobile, following the sun’s path throughout the day. By capturing more light, this system significantly increases electricity production compared to a fixed panel.
The Sorexa solar power plant will eventually reach a maximum capacity of 49 MWp. The schedule for the next phases has not yet been defined, but we hope to reach this total capacity within three years.
Who will the electricity be resold to?
Part of the electricity produced will be sold to Orano. A 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) has been signed to supply its desalination plant. Orano has signed this PPA for a capacity of 6MW. The rest of the energy produced will be sold to other private companies in the region via other PPAs.
The resale method chosen is MSB (Modified Single Buyer). It allows private companies to sign PPAs directly with an electricity producer rather than with the network operator (NamPower in Namibia). However, this system can only legally cover 30% of a customer’s consumption.
Financing for the Sorexa solar power plant
This solar power plant was financed by a loan of NAD 66 million from the Development Bank of Namibia (DNB), equivalent to approximately EUR 3 million.
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