Namibia aims to achieve 900 megawatts (MW) of installed power capacity by 2030 as part of efforts to enhance domestic energy security and diversification, President Nangolo Mbumba announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at the official inauguration of the Anixas II Power Station in Walvis Bay, Mbumba said the initiative aligns with the ruling Swapo Party Manifesto’s priority of strengthening the country’s energy sector.
“It is pertinent that we expand our renewable energy resources and eventually position ourselves as an exporter of electricity to the region,” Mbumba stated. “To this extent, there is a need for a diversified energy mix, one that balances local generation with strategic imports, ensuring that Namibia remains resilient to global and regional energy shocks.”
Namibia currently imports between 40% and 70% of its electricity from neighboring countries, depending on fluctuations in demand, supply, and production. The President underscored the importance of reducing reliance on imports while maintaining affordability for consumers.
“We have been witnessing increasing calls from various communities in Namibia for the provision of affordable municipal rates and taxes, especially with regard to electricity and water supply,” he said.
“Therefore, in our supply models for these basic commodities, we should factor in innovative ways to make such public goods affordable, either through exports, cross-subsidisation, or new technologies.”
Mbumba urged the Ministry of Mines and Energy, along with NamPower, to explore all avenues, including cost-effective renewable energy deployment and strategic imports, to ensure a stable and affordable electricity supply for households and industries.
The Anixas II Power Station, valued at approximately N$1.28 billion, is expected to strengthen Namibia’s energy security by providing firm, dispatchable, and reliable electricity to the national grid.
The 54MW facility, the fifth power station owned and operated by NamPower, is an expansion of the existing Anixas I plant.
NamPower’s Managing Director, Simson Haulofu, highlighted the station’s role in integrating renewable energy into the grid.
“Anixas II will serve as a dispatchable power station, stabilising the grid and accommodating the intermittency of renewable energy sources,” he said.
