NamPower starts constructions on 100 MW solar power project

Namibia’s state-owned national power utility, NamPower, has begun construction on a 100 MW solar project, set to become the country’s largest to date. The Sores |Gaib solar power station is being built 33 km northwest of the mining town Rosh Pinah in southern Namibia.

The solar power station is scheduled for commercial commissioning in June 2026 and is estimated to cost $88.4 million to construct. NamPower is funding the project through a loan obtained in September 2024 from the German development bank KfW, supplemented by its own reserves.

Sores |Gaib, which in Khoekhoegowab means “Power of the Sun”, is expected to help reduce Namibia’s energy imports and contribute to the diversification of the country’s energy mix. Namibia is heavily reliant on energy imports to meet its power generation shortfall, largely from neighbouring South Africa and via the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

Additionally, the project is also going to help improve employment, with over 300 direct jobs expected to be created during the construction, with an emphasis on employing local labour and skills development.

Furthermore, the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor has pledged to allocate 25% of the contract value—equivalent to N$356 million—toward local content.

NamPower Managing Director Kahenge Haulofu highlighted that the 100 MW Sores |Gaib Power Station signifies both progress and a lasting commitment to Namibia’s sustainable development. 

“Our country has abundant sun, and we as a nation are ready to seize the opportunities that renewable energy offers. The 100 MW Sores |Gaib power station is a critical step in fulfilling that potential,” said Haulofu.

“At NamPower, we believe that energy is not just about infrastructure, but rather about the impact on households that gain access to sustainable energy, businesses that will thrive because of reliable electricity and communities that gain new economic opportunities,” Haulofu concluded.