A 20 MW photovoltaic solar plant is planned for Tsumeb after developers Massaus and Titan Energy Solutions (Pty) Ltd secured an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) for the project, which is intended to support the power requirements of the former Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb (DPMT) smelter and feed surplus electricity into the national grid.
The plant will be built within the Dundee licence area and is designed to reduce reliance on conventional power sources by supplying dedicated renewable energy to the smelter, which requires consistent, high-load electricity to maintain operations.
Project documents show that the installation will include between 15,000 and 20,000 solar panels, 13 inverters with a combined 25 MW capacity, and a central power-plant controller to manage grid compliance and system coordination.
Developers may also deploy a single-axis tracking system to improve daily energy output by rotating the panels between +45 and –45 degrees.
Electrical integration will involve stepping voltage from 240 V to 33 kV, then 66 kV, with the option of adding an onsite substation to raise output to 132 kV before feeding into the national grid.
Massaus, a Namibian-owned green-energy project developer, is currently completing its licensing processes with the Electricity Control Board.
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism said the collaboration between Massaus and DPMT aims to provide a reliable, renewable and cost-effective power source that stabilises smelter operations and reduces pressure on the national electricity system.
“Massaus is in the process of obtaining a licence or approval from the Electricity Control Board of Namibia, and collaborating with Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb (DPMT) to develop a 20 MW photovoltaic solar generating plant that will augment the DPMT’s power needs and feed surplus generated energy into the national grid,” the Ministry noted.
The project is expected to support Namibia’s renewable-energy commitments by increasing clean-energy availability and reducing dependence on imported or carbon-intensive electricity.
