Local energy firm partners with global supplier to add more renewable energy to the grid
OLC Energy Services is set to grow into a leading partner of renewable energy following last week’s launch of a new partnership with SMA Solar Technology – a global leader for solar inverters, a key component of all solar PV plants.
OLC Energy Services, is a joint venture company of O&L Energy – a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List Group and Cronimet Mining Power Solutions.
O&L Energy is a specialist for renewable energy in Southern Africa, especially in large-scale PV, Solar Water Heating and Bio Energy, and has a pipeline of renewable energy prospects in Namibia and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), targeting especially 1 Megawatt (MW) to 10 MW plants.
Managing Director of OLC Energy Services, Bernd Walbaum said “We are very excited to have been awarded the agencies for sales and services for Namibia from the world leading inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology. This will support our goal and ambition to grow to the leading partner of renewable energy in Namibia. The partnership with SMA contains technical services on the one side and SMA sales and distribution on the other side. This will improve SMA’s service for Namibian customers who now have a direct local partner in Namibia and also some local stock of SMA equipment.”
SMA offers a wide range of products and solutions that allow for high energy yields for residential and commercial PV systems and large-scale PV power plants. To increase PV self-consumption efficiently, SMA system technology can easily be combined with different battery technologies.
Intelligent energy management and digital energy solutions, comprehensive services and operational management of PV power plants round off SMA’s range. With its headquarters in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, SMA is represented in 20 countries globally, with more than 3,000 employees worldwide. SMA’s multi-award-winning technology is protected by more than 1,100 patents and utility models. SMA Solar Technology is listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and is currently the only company in the solar industry that is listed in the TecDAX index.
SMA Sales Director: Southern and East Africa, Malize Pienaar said, “We are very excited about this partnership with OLC Energy Services, and we look forward to a successful and fruitful relationship going forward.
“Currently Renewable Energy projects of 55MegaWatts (MW) have already been installed in Namibia, and according to Nampower, a further 121MW is under construction. Although Nampower states that this installed capacity of renewable energy is reaching the threshold the grid can accommodate, I want to encourage Government, the Ministry of Mines & Energy, and the Electricity Control Board (ECB) to approach the global changes in the energy market in a positive and trend-setting way including investments in the power distribution network and an updated market structure. The negotiations on the new National Integrated Resource Plan are already showing the right way,” added Walbaum.
Meanwhile besides solar power O&L Energy is engaged in the Bush-to-Energy business and in the first Biomass project in Namibia, currently under construction in Mariental. Cronimet is an international energy company focusing on large-scale solar power and hybrid plants mainly in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Cronimet has developed over 300 MW plants worldwide.
Caption – Managing Director of OLC Energy Services, Bernd Walbaum (left) and SMA Solar Technology Sales Director: Southern and East Africa, Malize Pienaar at the official announcement of the new partnership.
