Namibia’s renewable energy potential showcased through IEA report
African Energy Week
The International Energy Agency (IEA) launched its Renewable Energy Opportunities Report for Namibia at the Africa Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2024 conference earlier this week.The report explores Namibia’s opportunities for renewable energy and how it can support the country’s development vision. The continued roll-out of solar, wind and green hydrogen energy initiatives would not only lower energy costs in the country – which are currently the highest electricity costs in Southern Africa – but it would also reduce its import dependency while increasing energy security.
Namibia currently imports around 60% to 70% of its total baseload. Meanwhile, nearly 45% of Namibians still lack access to electricity. “With rural communities being underserved, this report highlights the importance of a decentralized energy approach to bridge our energy gap,” Tom Alweendo, Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, noted at the launch of the report.
‘First of its kind’
The first of its kind for Namibia, the report represents a new chapter in the country’s renewable energy journey. “By bringing together global expertise and Namibia’s unique energy landscape, we brought together reliable data and analysis, which provides insights that will be valuable for us as policymakers, and for you as industry players,” said Alweendo.
He added that the report is to be used as a tool to broaden global understanding of the country’s energy sector. Backed by robust policies to help harness resources, renewable energy will play a central role in driving value creation and industrialization. “Namibia is positioned to become a leader in renewable energy, thanks to our extraordinary solar irradiance and wind conditions. The report provides a roadmap to harnessing these resources to meet the ambitious target of achieving 70% of renewable energy by 2030,” he said.
Such progress, he highlighted, would not only make Namibia a regional leader but would also position the country as an exporter of clean energy.
Ambitious strategy
IEA Deputy Executive Director, Mary Burce Warlick, highlighted that Namibia also has an ambitious green hydrogen strategy and has been taking a leading role in the renewable hydrogen space. “The high quality of the renewable resources, combined with ample available land for large-scale project development can facilitate competitive production of renewable hydrogen,” she said.
However, as the country currently lacks a domestic market for hydrogen, all initial production would need to be exported. Delivery to international markets would require shipping hydrogen in the form of ammonia, which would necessitate large-scale investments in port infrastructure and the development of ammonia-handling expertise.
Integrating renewable energy into the country’s mining sector, which contributes 14% to its gross domestic product, would also enhance the competitiveness of Namibia’s products in global markets. “This remains one of our most vital sectors – by integrating wind and solar energy into mining operations, we can reduce operational costs and lower emissions, making these resources more competitive for the global market,” Alweendo said.
Alweendo concluded, “Our commitment to renewable energy is clear. By grounding our policies in high-quality data analysis, we are showing that our approach to renewable energy is both effective and accountable to the needs of our people.” – Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.