Various energy projects, mainly renewable, that have been rolled out in Namibia are set to push the country\u2019s power generation capacity from 759 megawatt currently to 903 MW by the end of the next financial year, ensuring energy independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his motivation of the Ministry of Industries, Mines & Energy (MIME) budget for the 2026-27 Financial Year in the National Assembly, Minister Modestus Amutse said the power projects represent more than N$8 billion in national energy investments, mobilised through strong international partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The projects that are currently under development include the 100MW Sores |Gaib Solar Power plant outside Rosh Pinah (due for completion in December 2026), the 44MW Diaz Wind Project in L\u00fcderitz (June 2026), the 40MW Otjikoto Biomass project near Tsumeb (June 2027), and the 51MW Omburu Battery Energy Storage System near Omaruru (August 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other energy projects earmarked to be rolled out soon include the construction of six, 20MW solar plants by Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and the 45MW Lithops Battery Energy Storage System near Arandis, in the Erongo region, to commence in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese projects will not only secure our energy supply but will also stimulate local industries, create new employment opportunities, support skills development, and strengthen our ability to integrate clean energy into the grid,\u201d Amutse told Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several major transmission and substation projects have been completed, including the 132 kV Namib\u2013Diaz transmission line (\/\/Karas Region) together with its associated substation expansion works, the 132 kV Sekelduin Substation (Erongo Region), and the upgraded Khomas 220\/66 kV substations (Khomas Region).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The completion of the strategic 400-kilovolt Obib\u2013Oranjemund transmission line further strengthens the southern network and positions Namibia as a key player in the evolving regional power market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese upgrades strengthen our national grid and will improve the reliability of electricity supply in the region,\u201d said Amutse, underlining that the progress that has been made in the energy sector reflects commitment to economic growth, regional development, and long-term energy independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amutse said the investments being made in the energy sector are not only aimed at securing energy supply, but will also stimulate local industries, create new employment opportunities, support skills development, and strengthen Namibia\u2019s ability to integrate clean energy into the grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, the Minister said Namibia would continue to pursue the cross-border 880-megawatt Baynes Hydropower Project together with Angola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBoth the governments of Namibia and Angola remain committed to the long-term implementation of the Baynes Hydropower Project and hope to reach a Final Investment Decision on this project in 2026\/27,\u201d said Amutse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NUCLEAR POWER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Namibia is also pursuing plans for nuclear power generation, in line with the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6). A high-level roadmap for the implementation of the nuclear program has been developed and finalised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cabinet has approved a proposal to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Milestone Approach. This phased methodology ensures that Namibia builds a safe, secure, and regulated “enabling environment” prior to the construction of its first nuclear power plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo lead this transition, under the auspices of the Prime Minister\u2019s Office, we are establishing the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation (NEPIO). Once fully operational, NEPIO will be the central body responsible for overseeing the completion of Milestone 1, which involves conducting the pre-feasibility studies and the comprehensive readiness assessment,\u201d said Amutse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During the past financial year, MIME was allocated N$251 million for electrification which was fully utilised to connect close to 8,000 peri-urban and rural households in all the regions. In addition, the National Energy Fund (NEF) contributed N$30 million towards electrification, while Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs) and NamPower collectively mobilised over N$120 million in co-financing, enabling the expansion of impact beyond household connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cElectrification remains one of the most powerful tools for inclusive development and poverty reduction. However, the scale of the task before us remains significant. Under NDP6, the 2026\/27 target is 26,000 new connections, requiring an estimated N$810 million, instead of the N$251 million budgeted for. Against this backdrop, we must continue leveraging partnerships and external support to bridge the gap between available resources and the NDP6 national targets,\u201d said Amutse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this regard, government is pursuing grant funding with development funders, such as the German KfW Development Bank, to deliver an additional 4,000 to 5,000 connections under NORED.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHowever, opportunities for grant funding remain limited and highly competitive. It is for this reason that Namibia has positioned itself within the Mission 300 initiative, a continent-wide platform led by African countries in partnership with the World Bank, aiming to connect 300 million people to electricity grids by 2030. This aligns closely with Namibia\u2019s own NDP6 target of connecting 200,000 households by 2030,\u201d the Energy Minister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the Mission 300 platform, Namibia intends to deepen collaboration with multilateral institutions and development finance partners to mobilise additional resources and technical support for electrification at scale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Various energy projects, mainly renewable, that have been rolled out in Namibia are set to push the country\u2019s power generation capacity from 759 megawatt currently to 903 MW by the end of the next financial year, ensuring energy independence. In his motivation of the Ministry of Industries, Mines & Energy (MIME) budget for the 2026-27<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=928"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":931,"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928\/revisions\/931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etangonam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}