Electricity licences galore

Namibia's Electricity Control Board had, by the end of January, issued 81 electricity-generation licences throughout the country. Of those, no less than 54 licences are for solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation; converting sunlight directly into usable electric energy.

Fourteen stand-by generator licences were issued, all operational and all for own-consumption electricity generation. The recipients of these licences - who use the electricity for their mining operations - include Skorpion Zinc, Langer Heinrich, Ongopolo Mining, Rössing Uranium, Swakop Uranium and Namib Lead and Zinc.

Other stand-by generator licence holders are the Office of the Prime Minister, which uses the generator for the ministry of works and transport; Telecom Namibia, Aveng Water Treatment, Ohorongo Cement, Paratus Telecommunication and the Omeya Golf and Residential Oasis. All the stand-by generator licences are for diesel generators, except Ongopolo’s seven megawatt (MW) licence to use thermal waste heat in Tsumeb for electricity generation.

In terms of rooftop solar generation for more than 500 kilowatts (kW), Namibia Breweries, Grove Mall, Phase Two Properties, Maerua Mall and Wernhil Park all have licences in Windhoek, and together are allowed to generate up to 8.9MW from PV systems.

Independent power producers who are licenced to use diesel and solar hybrid systems for own consumption are B2Gold and the Otjozondjupa Regional Council, with the Otjikoto mine licenced to generate up to 31KW and the regional council allowed to generate 0.2MW at its Tsumkwe hybrid power plant.

Mariental Bioenergy is the only licenced independent producer allowed to use biogas for its 1MW plant in the Hardap Region.

Other licenced small, independent solar-powered electricity producers include the Hoachanas Development and Renewable Energy Trust and Namibia Marble and Granite. Larger independent licenced solar producers are Omburu Sun Energy (5.197MW), Sun EQ Four Investments (6.574MW) for Ohorongo Cement, OLC Arandis (3.8MW) for Erongo RED and Hopsol Power Generation (5.61MW) for Cenored.

Larger independent solar electricity generators include GreeNam Electricity’s two 12.636MW plants near Keetmanshoop and Mariental, with Alten Solar Power’s 45.454MW Mariental solar plant supplying NamPower. Whale Rock Cement and Swakop Uranium are both licenced independents allowed to use thermal waste heat to generate 4.5MW and 15MW respectively.

Furthermore, the Diaz Wind Power project in Luderitz is licenced to generate 44MW, but this is yet to come to fruition.

NamPower holds active generation licences for the Ruacana hydroelectric power station (347MW), the Van Eck coal-fired power station (120MW) and its Anixas I heavy fuel oil power station (22MW) at the coast.

Under the modified single buyer model, some electricity consumers and independent power producers may transact with each other directly for a certain portion of their electricity requirements. Operational among the licencees in this category are Namib Poultry Industries for own consumption, Rosh Pinah Solar Park for use by the Rosh Pinah Zinc Mine, and Skeleton Coast Trawling for own consumption.

CGN Renewable Energy Namibia is licenced to generate 12MW from solar sources for the Husab Mine, while Omburu is licenced to provide NamPower with 28.9MW from solar electricity generation.

NamPower is the only entity in Namibia licenced to import electricity, while the national power utility is also licenced for transmission and export. Non-operational electricity licence holders include the Nathanael Maxuilili Power Plant, #Oab Energy, Solnam Energy, Sino Investment, Schonau Solar Energy, Galen Energy, Eenghono Power, Ino Investment, Southern Africa Renewable Energy, Greenco Renewable Energy, TeraSun Energy and Zikomo Power Energy.