- Namibia has installed its first solar-powered seawater desalination system, moving closer to achieve its efforts in becoming self-sustaining.
- The system is among the first desalination plants in the world to operate on 100% renewable energy.
- It was designed and delivered by a Finnish water tech company called Solar Water Solutions.
The Namibian Government has commissioned the University of Namibia and the University of Turku in Finland in a joint initiative to implement the desalination system. The inauguration took place earlier this month at the University of Namibia by H.E. Dr Sam S Nujoma, the founding President of the Republic of Namibia.
UNAM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kenneth Matengu, commented: “The impact we hope to receive through this plant is to contribute to food security and increase energy supply while simultaneously combatting and mitigating the effects of climate change. We can make Namibia green.”
The decentralised system is situated close to the beach and installed in a container; it produces 3.500 litres of water per hour from the ocean with zero energy costs and without any batteries.
The system can also be used as a hybrid with electricity or a generator if needed. The equipment removes salt, bacteria, chemicals, viruses and other impurities from the water.
“The life-cycle costs of this solar-powered desalination solution is more than 70% lower than conventional systems, as there are no energy costs or need for fossil fuels,” says Antti Pohjola, CEO of Solar Water Solutions.
Author: GBA News Desk/ESI-Africa Contributor
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
