Our portfolio company, Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS), is leading the development and funding of an innovative new 10MW solar plant in Namibia.
The plant is being constructed on Maxwell Farm, in North Central Namibia, and will be operational by the end of 2024. The clean energy generated there will be “wheeled” across the Namibian grid to Otjikoto gold mine, located 13 kilometres away and operated by B2Gold, the country’s leading gold producer.
This is the first power-wheeling project under Namibia’s Modified Single Buyer (MSB) framework. This new framework enables energy companies, such as SPS to sell power directly to customers such as industrial companies and regional distributors. Previously, they were only able to sell to NamPower, Namibia’s national power utility. This represents a shift in the Namibian power sector towards more dynamic business models.
As a result, B2Gold’s Otjikoto gold mine looks set to become one of Namibia’s greenest mines, aiming to offset an additional 26,360 tonnes of CO2 annually.
SPS and B2Gold are also working with the Oelofse family, who own Maxwell Farm, and Fortitude, a project management and property development firm.
Chris Flavin, our Head of Business Development, said:
“This project is one example of the many ways in which SPS is providing new and innovative solar power solutions to businesses and communities across Africa. Supplying high quality affordable renewable energy is the core of SPS’s business, and this project demonstrates their capability as a company with the experience to carry out complex projects.”
For more details on the project go to: https://sps.africa/b2gold-otjikoto-mine-10-mw-solar-wheeling-solution/