Namibia to boost solar, wind power

FLORENCE – Namibia aims to increase the amount of electricity produced from solar and wind sources by 0,5 per cent a year, with solar energy taking a lead, an adviser at the Mines and Energy Ministry said yesterday.

Solar and wind power account for only one to two per cent of all electricity produced in the southern African country of 1,8 million people. But the Government is looking for ways to finance many new projects to boost the sector, said Shimweefeleni Hamutwe, the Ministry’s adviser on alternative energy.”At the present time we are still at the planning stage of getting frameworks for funding of renewable energy technologies,” Hamutwe told Reuters on the sidelines of an international renewable energy congress in Florence, Italy.”Under current arrangements, one can see a continuous growth of about 0,5 per cent per year,” he said.He said the costs of securing such growth would run at about US$5 to 10 million a year.The Government would be the main source of funding, helped by international development partners.The Government would also expect private sector investment and had received some proposals to set up joint ventures in renewable energy as electricity prices were set to rise, making the area more lucrative, Hamutwe said.He said solar energy, used to power and heat households and pump water, would be the main driver in the sector development.Namibia is a net importer of electricity and imports up to 90 per cent of power in dry seasons, mostly from South Africa but also from Zambia and Zimbabwe.Namibia’s total installed capacity is 300 megawatts, but only 50 per cent of this is used during droughts – a far cry from the country’s needs for 480 MW of generating capacity, Hamutwe said.Nampa-ReutersBut the Government is looking for ways to finance many new projects to boost the sector, said Shimweefeleni Hamutwe, the Ministry’s adviser on alternative energy.”At the present time we are still at the planning stage of getting frameworks for funding of renewable energy technologies,” Hamutwe told Reuters on the sidelines of an international renewable energy congress in Florence, Italy.”Under current arrangements, one can see a continuous growth of about 0,5 per cent per year,” he said.He said the costs of securing such growth would run at about US$5 to 10 million a year.The Government would be the main source of funding, helped by international development partners.The Government would also expect private sector investment and had received some proposals to set up joint ventures in renewable energy as electricity prices were set to rise, making the area more lucrative, Hamutwe said.He said solar energy, used to power and heat households and pump water, would be the main driver in the sector development.Namibia is a net importer of electricity and imports up to 90 per cent of power in dry seasons, mostly from South Africa but also from Zambia and Zimbabwe.Namibia’s total installed capacity is 300 megawatts, but only 50 per cent of this is used during droughts – a far cry from the country’s needs for 480 MW of generating capacity, Hamutwe said.Nampa-Reuters