US SWET advances solar-wind technology to Namibia, Botswana

May 28, 2014 - US firm Solar Wind Energy Tower Inc (OTC:SWET), or SWET, said Tuesday it had sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with venture capital firm Invest Africa Inc to build its innovative Solar Wind Downdraft Tower structures in Namibia and Botswana.

SWET will provide technical support and personnel to help its partner in the development, design, construction and operation of the tower solar-wind power plant. SWET will also support Invest Africa with the technical and feasibility studies for the project.

The Solar Wind Downdraft Tower structure represents a hollow cylinder with a water spray system at the top. The water evaporates as the top surface is heated by the sun, cooling the hot dry air. As it becomes denser and heavier, the air falls at high speed through the cylinder, driving turbines located at the base to produce electricity.

It will be the second facility of this kind in the world after a project in Arizona for which SWET received a key approval last month. The tower is seen to start producing electricity in 2018. The firm is now focusing on the Middle East and is estimating several potential alternatives, it said.

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