Global energy company, ESB International (ESBI), has been appointed by the Namibian state-owned electricity utility, NamPower, to provide technical advisory services for the 800 milliwatt Kudu combined-cycle power plant being developed at Oranjemund on the Namibian and South Africa border.

The power plant will use gas from the offshore Kudu Gas field to produce electricity for Namibia and for export to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), an electricity market in Southern Africa. Economic growth throughout Africa is fuelling demand for electricity making this project a vital one for the region.

ESBI has a long track record in Africa having previously worked on projects in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, Malawi, Lesotho and Namibia. The company is currently working on a four-year project in Tanzania which will significantly enhance the electricity infrastructure there and improve the reliability of electricity supply.

ESBI engineering solutions manager, Billy Byrne, said today: “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 such as the Kudu CCGT plant in the region. 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.”