The !Gawachab Conservancy in ||Kharas Region has signed a 30-year land lease agreement with Ikhaya Somandla Family Enterprise to pave the way for the development of a billion-dollar renewable energy project.
||Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick witnessed the agreement signing at Keetmanshoop.
The planned solar plant, to be developed on 2,500 hectares of land at Klein Karas Farm, owned by the conservancy, is expected to supply 1,625 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
In terms of the agreement, the conservancy will receive a monthly lease payment of N$40,000.
"As the regional government, we are deeply pleased to be part of this establishment of the !Gawachab Solar Park project. This is one of the important and bold steps taken by IFS Trading in shaping the energy sector, especially with regard to intensifying our efforts to scale up the production of renewable energy and curb the effects of climate change. Indeed, your efforts will assist us in addressing the green economy and valuing change to create employment and alleviate poverty."
The conservancy's chairperson says the benefits derived from this agreement and its spinoffs will ease hardships experienced in the conservancy, including water shortages.
Chairperson of the !Gawachab Conservancy, Johannes Petrus Markus, explained the potential benefits, "With this kind of project, we will be able to overcome these hurdles in our conservancy, and with this project, we will be able to ensure that our members can benefit to the fullest."
A representative of the Ikhaya Somandla Family Enterprise, James Links, highlighted how residents from the surrounding community will benefit from the solar project.
"Business cannot exist without government, the government cannot exist without business, but both cannot exist without people, and that's why we bring this kind of inclusion, where we look at what is it that the corporate site will entail, we look at township establishment, and we have seen how the conservancy lives there; they are peaceful but not comfortable, they are peaceful but not affordable because everything they do requires efforts beyond imagination."