STAFF WRITER
The Renewable Energy Industry Association of Namibia (REIAoN) has set up Task Forces to address challenges faced by the sector as it seeks to create an ecosystem that can convert the country’s various renewable energy opportunities into real economic activity.
During an industry engagement held in Windhoek this week in collaboration with JinkoSolar, REIAoN Chairperson Paulus Mulunga said it was vital for Namibian companies to participate in the conversion of the excellent renewable energy natural resources that the country has into tangible projects.
“We need Namibian companies participating. We need skilled Namibians. We need investment. We need appropriate regulation. We need quality standards. We need financing. And, we need stronger cooperation between government, regulators, utilities, the private sector, financial institutions, academia and development partners,” said Mulunga.
He said his vision was to position REIAoN as the central private-sector coordinating force for Namibia’s renewable energy industry and as a unified voice that contributes meaningfully to Namibia’s energy transition.
Mulunga said in doing so, REIAoN would focus on 5 key areas.
“We need to have constructive and consistent engagement with institutions such as the Electricity Control Board, NamPower, electricity distributors and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy. Our objective is to work with the relevant institutions to find practical solutions for challenges faced by our members.
This includes issues such as generator licensing, Net metering, Battery Energy Storage Systems, electric vehicle regulation, distributed generation, mini-grids, Independent Power Producers, grid access, and the broader development of Namibia’s electricity market,” said the REIAoN Chairperson.
He said as the renewable energy industry grows, there was need to ensure that the growth is accompanied by quality.
“We cannot build an industry where poor installations damage consumer confidence. We cannot have financial institutions financing systems without confidence in the quality of the installation,” he said.
REIAoN will seek to support the development of a professional installer environment where customers can have confidence in the people installing their systems.
REIAoN will work towards bringing financial institutions, insurance companies and investors much closer to the renewable energy sector.
“A renewable energy project is not successful simply because the technology works. It must also be bankable. We, therefore, need to create greater understanding between the renewable energy industry and the financial sector. We need financial institutions to understand the risks. We need developers to understand what makes projects bankable. We need insurers to understand the technologies. And we need consumers and businesses to have access to appropriate financing models,” said Mulunga.
REIAoN does not want Namibia to simply become a market where international companies sell equipment.
Mulunga said there’s a need for Namibia to look beyond its borders as it addresses the challenges of the energy sector.
“We are part of SADC. The region has significant energy challenges, and electricity demand will continue
to grow. Namibia has an opportunity to position itself as an important renewable energy and electricity hub in the region. Our exceptional solar resource gives us an advantage,” said Mulunga.
COMMENTS