The Worldwide Vitality Company (IEA) has launched its ‘Renewable Vitality Alternatives Report for Namibia’ on Tuesday at Africa Vitality Week: Put money into African Energies 2024 convention.
The report explores Namibia’s alternatives for renewable power and the way it can assist the nation’s growth imaginative and prescient. The continued roll-out of photo voltaic, wind and inexperienced hydrogen power initiatives wouldn’t solely decrease power prices within the nation – that are at the moment the best electrical energy prices in Southern Africa – however it might additionally cut back its import dependency whereas rising power safety.
Namibia at the moment imports round 60% to 70% of its complete baseload. In the meantime, almost 45% of Namibians nonetheless lack entry to electrical energy. “With rural communities being underserved, this report highlights the significance of a decentralized power method to bridge our power hole,” Tom Alweendo, Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Vitality, famous on the launch of the report.
The primary of its type for Namibia, the report represents a brand new chapter within the nation’s renewable power journey. “By bringing collectively international experience and Namibia’s distinctive power panorama, we introduced collectively dependable information and evaluation, which supplies insights that shall be helpful for us as coverage makers, and for you as business gamers,” mentioned Alweendo.
He added that the report is for use as a device to broaden international understanding into the nation’s power sector. Backed by strong insurance policies to assist harness assets, renewable power will play a central function in driving worth creation and industrialization. “Namibia is positioned to grow to be a frontrunner in renewable power, because of our extraordinary photo voltaic irradiance and wind circumstances. The report supplies a roadmap to harnessing these assets to satisfy the bold goal of attaining 70% of renewable power by 2030,” he mentioned.
Such progress, he highlighted, wouldn’t solely make Namibia a regional chief, however would additionally place the nation as an exporter of fresh power.
IEA Deputy Govt Director, Mary Burce Warlick, highlighted that Namibia additionally has an bold inexperienced hydrogen technique and has been taking a number one function within the renewable hydrogen area. “The top quality of the renewable assets, mixed with ample obtainable land for large-scale mission growth can facilitate aggressive manufacturing of renewable hydrogen,” she mentioned.
Nevertheless, because the nation at the moment lacks a home marketplace for hydrogen, all preliminary manufacturing would must be exported. Supply to worldwide markets would require delivery hydrogen within the type of ammonia, which might necessitate large-scale investments in port infrastructure and the event of ammonia dealing with experience.
Integrating renewable power into the nation’s mining sector, which contributes 14% to its gross home product, would additionally improve the competitiveness of Namibia’s merchandise in international markets. “This stays one among our most important sectors – by integrating wind and photo voltaic power into mining operations, we will cut back operational prices and decrease emissions, making these assets extra aggressive for the worldwide market,” Alweendo mentioned.
Alweendo concluded, “Our dedication to renewable power is obvious. By grounding our insurance policies in top quality information evaluation, we’re displaying that our method to renewable power is each efficient and accountable to the wants of our individuals.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Vitality Chamber.
