Namibia could pioneer renewable energy sector

NAMIBIA could become a leader in the use of renewable energy by seeking funds promised by industrial countries at last month’s climate summit in Copenhagen and by building a power plant to secure its own power supply, an energy expert has proposed.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) yesterday, at which Prime Minister Nahas Angula gave an overview of his attendance at the Copenhagen climate summit, Harald Schütt, who is the deputy chairperson of the board of the Windhoek branch of the NCCI, said a 400 megawatt power plant generating electricity from solar power would be a good project.’The industrial countries offered US$30 billion over the next three years to developing countries which suffer from pollution caused by carbon emissions of these nations and’why should these polluters not pay for the investment in such a power plant?’ Schütt added.He told the meeting that South Africa would embark on manufacturing an electric car this year.’Namibia’s small Paratus power plant at Walvis Bay runs on diesel and many rural settlements like Tsumkwe are supplied with electricity through diesel generators,’ Schütt told The Namibian afterwards.The basic terms of the Copenhagen Accord were brokered directly by US President Barack Obama and a handful of key developing country leaders on the final day of the December 2009 conference.Key elements of the non-binding Accord include the goal of limiting global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius; a process for countries to enter their specific climate mitigation pledges by the end of this month and a reporting and verification system of countries’ actions to combat climate change.Developed countries also pledged US$30 billion in ‘new and additio-nal’ resources in between 2010 and 2012 to help developing countries reduce emissions, preserve forests, and adapt to climate change. They further pledged to mobilise US$100 billion a year in public and private finance by 2020 to address developing countries’ needs.