InnoVent‘s Namibian subsidiary, InnoSun Energy Holdings, has just signed a 10-year PPA with Orano (formerly Areva) to supply solar electricity to its desalination plant, which supplies drinking water to the Namibian coast.
The 5 MWp solar farm will be built at the Trekkopje site northeast of Arandis, where it will supply the Erongo desalination plant. Construction will begin this summer for commissioning in late 2023. This power plant will enable Orano to supply water to the Erongo region from cleaner electricity at a lower cost over the long term, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, or 9,722 tons of CO2. This project is part of the Orano Group’s policy to reduce its carbon footprint and increase the share of electricity from renewable resources on its operating sites.
In Namibia, the sun shines an average of 10 hours a day, making it one of the sunniest countries on the planet and therefore has enormous solar energy potential. However, according to the World Bank, Namibia’s electricity access rate was only 56.3% in 2020. But the Namibian government has pledged to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 70% by 2030.