Last week, the Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Otjikoto biomass power Station project in Tsumeb emphasized its role in reducing reliance on imported electricity and enhancing local energy security.
“Namibia, through NamPower, continues to import more than 50fifty percent of its annual electricity needs to meet local electricity demand. This thus increases the importance of this project as we seek to accelerate the implementation of planned new generation projects to meet the ever-increasing demand for electricity,” he said.
Alweendo said the Otjikoto Biomass Power Station, once operational, will not only contribute 40 MW to NamPower’s local generation mix but will also stabilize the national power grid with a fully dispatchable energy source that could provide baseload energy.
He noted that the project will deliver several economic benefits, including improved rangelands leading to better livestock carrying capacities, increased groundwater absorption in harvested areas, and community growth through direct and indirect job creation along the fuel supply chain and power station operations.
“The project also speaks at a macro level to a positive impact on the Gross Domestic Product of Namibia and the meeting of national targets as set out in the Harambee Prosperity Plan and NDP5 with particularly regard to the need for additional generation projects,” he said .
Meanwhile, the constructor, Dongfang Electric International Corporation’s deputy general manager, Xiong Chao, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to Namibia’s electrification efforts and sustainable bush resource management.
“I believe this project will bring great benefits to the economy and Namibian people,” he said, adding that bush encroachment in northern Namibia severely impacts local farmers’ productivity.
“Today is a new start, together with the NamPower team and all partners, DEC will mobilize all resources to implement the first and largest biomass project in Namibia and complete this project successfully as a modeling and milestone project,” he said.