Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Bank Windhoek will be showcasing its corporate and institutional banking services at this year’s Mining Expo hosted by the Namibia Chamber of Mines from April 25 to 26. Experts from Bank Windhoek’s Treasury and Corporate Investment departments will also be available to advise current and prospective investors in the Namibian mining industry on technical and practical aspects of investing locally.
This year, the focus will be on green and sustainable investments. Bank Windhoek recently allocated a green finance facility to Alcon Consulting Services’ Aussenkehr Solar PV power plant in the south of Namibia. The 5 MW Solar PV power plant was completed in November 2017. InnoSun Energy Holding (Pty) Ltd is the leading developer of the Aussenkehr Solar PV power plant, which assisted Alcon Consulting.
Bank Windhoek is also currently looking at the opportunity of financing a wind farm project where the aim will be to feed power directly to the mine and eliminating dependency on the national grid.
“At Bank Windhoek, we believe in forming smart partnerships to facilitate growth and sustainability in Namibia. With InnoSun, and financing made possible through Sunref Namibia, we found a partner that provides clean energy solutions that contribute to Namibia’s development goals and desired economic growth,” said Lukas Nanyemba, executive officer at Bank Windhoek’s Corporate and Institutional Banking. Sunref is a global clean energy technical assistance and finance programme promoting the use of renewable energy and energy efficient solutions.
Projects of this nature will greatly alleviate the short and long-term energy demands required from NamPower. They contribute to Namibia’s national green energy security, reduce the national carbon footprint and greatly reduce the overall energy costs of local operations. The move will also support the efforts aimed at reducing the effects of climate change in Namibia and the SADC Region.
“Bank Windhoek is proud to exhibit at this year’s Mining Expo. As a bank that is 100 percent locally owned and operated we look forward to advising local and international mining investors on how to make the most of their investments and limit the impact they have on the environment through alternative energy solutions,” said Nanyemba.