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Namibia’s Outstanding CSP Potential Could “Light up Southern Africa”

November 12, 2017


WINDHOEK, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) — Namibia has the potential to light up Southern Africa, given its strategic location and ambitious plan for private investments in the power generation sector, according to the Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein.

The public sector alone cannot respond to the enormous investment needed to meet the growing demand for electricity in the country, the minister said on Thursday at a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Conference held in Windhoek.

“We must therefore leverage on private sector resources to finance, build and operate power infrastructures, in order to help take electricity to all corners in Namibia where households and businesses are presently deprived of this enabling facility,” he said.

According to Schlettwein, as per the country’s Fifth National Development Plan (NDP5), the majority of the upcoming electricity generation projects are expected to be developed through private sector investments.

“Namibia is fortunate to be endowed with many natural resources that we can exploit to become power self-sufficient. We have one of the highest solar radiation resource, for free and suitable for PV and concentrated solar power (CSP) installations. We also have suitable locations and available space for wind energy generation,” he added.

Schlettwein said for the country to champion in the renewable energy sector, Namibia must take learning from the success of renewable energy program in South Africa, which has paved the way for renewable energy investments in Southern Africa.
Currently Namibia is a net importer of electricity and imports power from South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-11/09/c_136740451.htm

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