CELLULAR connections for inhabitants of the remote Gamsberg area was the first result that derived from a joint venture between high tech geniuses Siemens Namibia and Shell Solar.
This unique joint venture was publicly announced earlier this year after long and drawn-out negotiations between these two significant role players in the solar energy industry.
On a global level Siemens and Shell have a long history of cooperation. In April 2001 a joint venture company was formed, merging all of Siemens Solar with Shell¹s solar business in Germany to create a company called Siemens und Shell Solar GmbH. At that time, it was also announced that Shell would integrate all of its remaining solar business before the end of 2002, and that Shell would have the option to become the largest shareholder. The integration of the Shell and Siemens solar businesses brings together world-class operations in both research and development.
In Namibia, Siemens has been active in the Solar Market for more than 20 years. One of the highlights of this period came in 2000 when the company supplied Telecom Namibia with 3 060 Photovoltaic panels for the ultra phone project.
While Siemens South Africa pulled out of the solar market, Siemens Namibia and Shell Solar entered into an exclusive distribution agreement.
According to this agreement Shell Solar will build customer preference using the brand position and produce the best product quality in the industry. Siemens expertise and product excellence are now at the heart of an integrated and extended product range.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) is one of the fastest growing and most mature of all the technologies in a rapidly developing part of the global energy market. PV is a semiconductor-based technology used to convert light energy into direct current electricity, using no moving parts, consuming no conventional fuels and creating no pollution.
The largest market for PV today is in developing countries and remote areas. Estimates indicate that more than 2 billion people worldwide have no access to conventional electrical power. If they have electricity, they use batteries or diesel generators.
At the remote MTC Gamsberg site, situated some 150 km south west of Windhoek in the Gamsberg Mountains, no power and water are available. One of the major challenges for constructing a BTS station was the fact that the site was difficult to access and could only be reached with four wheel drive trucks and bakkies.
Mr. Derek Phillips, Manger of the Energy and Industry Department of Siemens Namibia, says it was a formidable task for the subcontractors to get the 15 tonnes of equipment on the mountain.
The BTS station plant consists of a battery storage system with a running capacity of four days, a solar power system, which is the main source of energy and a diesel generator for back up energy. MTC erected an 80 meter high tower to ensure that the inhabitants of the Gamsberg area joined in the national cellular network.
"Due to the remoteness and access difficulties, quality and reliability are important to MTC. Siemens and Shell with their experience in the field of solar power energy offered the best solution to MTC," says Mr. Jochen Traut General Manager Operations from MTC.
To add even more quality to the inaccessible BTS station at the Gamsberg, Siemens also installed a remote GSM monitoring system, including software and a modem for the generators. This means that the plant can be monitored and controlled via cellular phone or via a central computer system by MTC.
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Gams: The erection of the BTS station at the remote Gamsberg area, some 150 kilometers south west from Windhoek in the Gamsberg Mountains, started in August last year and was completed in December.