…as 214MW renewable energy is in the works
Kandali Iyambo, Executive Modified Single Buyer at NamPower has said Namibia is working on substituting power imports with local generation.
Addressing an Invest in Namibia Roundtable, which was a side event of the Africa Energy Indaba, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, she said that Namibia was importing most of its energy currently.
“We import about 180 MW from Zambia, 80 MW from Zimbabwe, and 100 MW from South Africa. Our import level varies from 50, 60, and sometimes up to 70 per cent depending on the output from the Ruacana hydropower plant”.
“We have 214 MW of wind and solar power projects in the pipeline that are anticipated to be commissioned by 2025-2026. We’re looking at a number of projects powered with heavy fuel oil (HFO) or gas for baseload electricity supply to be developed with IPPs and some by the state.”
“We have a dream, as Namibia, to be [energy] self-sufficient,” she said. But the country intended to maintain its interconnector network with its neighbours and continue to support regional energy interdependence. And she cautioned that an electricity grid could not operate optimally with only renewable energy sources. Baseload power was needed and the country was looking at implementing a baseload power plant that could make use of the country’s own hydrocarbon resources.
Pinehas Mutota, Acting CEO of the Electricity Control Board, said Namibia reformed the electricity market to allow private sector participants like mines and large power users to buy directly from IPPs and permitted exports.
“We have issued export licenses for 125 MW which has now increased to about 300,” he said.
“We’ve introduced the modified single buyer market rules in terms of how the trading will take place….because there is bilateral trading, wheeling framework and also a balancing framework.”