The Khan Solar Power Station, is a 20 megawatts (27,000 hp) solar power plant under construction in Namibia. The project is owned and under development by Access Aussenkehr Solar One Namibia a Namibian independent power producer (IPP), based in Windhoek, the country's capital city. The energy generated here will be purchased by NamPower, the national electricity utility company, which is wholly owned by the government of Namibia. A 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA), governs the terms under which the energy will be sold and bought.[1]
| Khan Solar Power Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Namibia |
| Location | Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region |
| Coordinates | 22°04′45″S 15°12′57″E / 22.07917°S 15.21583°E |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | 2022 |
| Commission date | 2023 Expected |
| Construction cost | US$21 million |
| Owner | Access Aussenkehr Solar One Namibia |
| Operator | Access Aussenkehr Solar One Namibia |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Site area | 16 hectares (40 acres) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 33000 |
| Nameplate capacity | 20 megawatts (27,000 hp) |
Location
editThe power station sits on 16 hectares (40 acres) of land that was previously farmland, near the town of Usakos, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region.[1][2] Usakos is located approximately 137 kilometres (85 mi), by road, northeast of the city of Swakopmund, the regional capital.[3] Usakos is located about 216 kilometres (134 mi), by road, northwest of Windhoek, Namibia's capital city.[4]
Overview
editThe solar farm is designed to comprise 33,000 ground-mounted solar panels, 100 inverters and related hardware. The solar panels are mounted on 67 single-axis trackers which tilt the attached panels to track the direction of the sun, thereby maximizing exposure and electricity generated. The 20 megawatts generated at this power station will be purchased by NamPower for integration into the national electricity grid.[1]
The NamPower Khan High Voltage Substation near Usakos, lies adjacent to this solar farm and the farm's output will be directed to that substation for energy evacuation.[5]
Construction, costs and timeline
editThe cost of construction was reported as 300 Namibian dollars (US$21 million). Construction began in March 2022, with commercial commissioning anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2022.[1] The owner/developer of this power station selected HopSol, based in Windhoek, Namibia, as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.[1][5]
Other considerations
editThe PPA between the parties stipulates a contract price of US$0.495 per kiloWatt hour, which is lower than the cost of power derived from fossil-fuel sources. Therefore this solar farm will contribute to reduction of the cost of electricity in Namibia.[1][2]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Jean Marie Takouleu (30 March 2022). "Namibia: NamPower starts work on the 20 MWp Khan solar power plant". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ a b Ester Mbathera (30 March 2022). "Another solar-power plant for Erongo". The Namibian. Windhoek, Namibia. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Road Distance Between Swakopmund, Namibia And Usakos, Namibia" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Road Distance Between Windhoek, Namibia And Usakos, Namibia" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ a b Hopsol Namibia (17 December 2021). "20MW Khan Solar Power Plant". Hopsol.com. Windhoek, Namibia. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
External links
edit- Nampower Khan Substation Solar PV Park, Namibia As of 9 February 2022.