ESB International (ESBI) has been awarded a contract by NamPower to provide technical advisory services for the development of the 800 MW Kudu combined cycle power plant at Oranjemund on the Namibia / South Africa border.
The power plant will use gas from the Kudu Gas field to produce electricity for Namibia and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). Increasing demand for electricity in Africa as economies in the region grow is continuing to put pressure on state utilities such as NamPower.
Dublin, Ireland-based ESBI has previously worked on projects in South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi and Namibia. The company is currently working on a four-year project in Tanzania to improve the electricity infrastructure and reliability of electricity supply.
Commenting on the news, ESBI manager Billy Byrne said: "Africa is a very exciting market for ESBI as economic growth there is driving electricity demand. ESBI's local track record, combined with our expertise in all aspects of electricity generation and distribution, means that we are well placed to support critical energy projects in the region such as the Kudu CCGT plant.
“Our relationship with NamPower goes back a number of years, and we are very pleased to have this opportunity to work with them again on this important project.”
ESBI invests in, develops, owns, operates and maintains power stations both nationally and internationally, and also trades electricity in European energy markets.
The company has completed projects in more than 115 countries and has an annual turnover of over €800 million. Employing approximately 1,200 staff, it is currently active in more than 20 countries.
In addition to investments in over 2,300 MW of installed capacity and a similar amount in development, the company also has 146 MW of renewable wind energy plant installed, 164 MW under construction and an additional 740 MW planned for Ireland, the UK and Spain.
