Namibia has the potential to achieve energy independence by exploring domestic resources for power generation, a report by the Natural Resources, Economics and Public Administration says.
The parliamentary report on Natural Resources, Economics and Public Administration said this could be done through the development of a nuclear power plant utilising Namibia’s uranium reserves.
The report said instead of exporting uranium, there is a need for a storage facility to pile it up until such a time it can be used within the country.
“We should consider establishing a nuclear power plant to produce electricity. There have been offers from other countries to help Namibia to establish nuclear plants,” the parliamentary report revealed.
This comes as the country has excess energy capacity but still imports 60% of its energy needs due to the low power plant capacity.
The report further noted a need to maximise and optimise the Ruacana Power Plant to reduce electricity tariffs while also increasing reliance on solar and wind resources in the southern part of the country.
“The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and NamPower should invest in power storage facilities and manufacture storage batteries for solar energy,” the report reads.
Meanwhile, the document further advises the MME, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) and NamWater to institute a technical committee on shared waters between Angola and Namibia to enable the utilisation of sufficient water from the Kunene River to optimise production from the Ruacana Power Plant.
Furthermore, parliament recommends that the Ministry of Finance and NamPower allocate more funds for the generation capacity of NamPower to reduce reliance on imported power.
“The MURD (Ministry of Urban and Rural Development) should support NamPower to intensify the rural electrification projects, particularly for the benefit of schools and health clinics. Rural electrification should continue to be funded by the State, and the tax on electricity be removed to relieve the burden from the consumers,” the report noted.
Namibia is the world’s third-largest producer of uranium, accounting for 11% of global supply.
