PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

Namibian company starts module production

A new solar module assembly factory has opened in Namibia, with plans for domestic sales as well as exports to southern African countries and Europe.

Nopasika Electronics (Pty) Ltd. was officially inaugurated by Namibian president Sam Nujoma on March 28. Manfred Franz, a former German physicist and Nopasika's general manager, says production of mono- and polycrystalline modules started in January. The $6.4 million NAD ($570,000 US) factory is located in Oshakati, the main commercial center in northern Namibia and close to the border with Angola. It has a capacity of between 2 and 2.5 MW. Franz, who puts the consumer cost for modules at €4.40 ($3.84) per watt, says he expects to produce about 600 to 800 kW this year. In addition to the current production portfolio of 50 and 100 W modules, Nopasika will produce 55, 75, 160, and 300 W modules. Currently, they are ordering the cells from ErSol Solar Energy AG and RWE Solar GmbH in Germany, and S.E. Project in Italy. But Franz says he plans to start his own cell production in about 18 months, not only for use at Nopasika, but also for export. He declined to talk about the technology, saying only that he and his partners have a registered design.

Franz says he is going for IEC and TÜV certification and has module orders from Angola, South Africa, Congo, and Germany. He adds that one project is lined up with the Namibian Ministry of Local Government and Housing to electrify a village with between 10 and 15 kW on a 220 V mini-grid. Although construction is slated to begin in May, Franz says the ministry has not yet selected a village.

Namibia already has another module factory: In March 2001, the Norwegian company SolEnergy AS began construction of a 1 MW facility called Power4Africa (see PI 4/2001, p. 9).