Germany commits N$103m to energy transition, Ruacana rehabilitation

Staff Writer

Germany has committed approximately N$103 million to support Namibia’s energy transition and green industrialisation, building on existing cooperation that includes the expansion and rehabilitation of the Ruacana Hydropower Plant.

The funding follows the signing of a EUR 5.5 million Technical Cooperation Agreement between newly accredited German ambassador Thomas Wimmer and National Planning Commission (NPC) director general ambassador Kaire Mbuende.

The agreement was signed during an introductory engagement between the two officials following Wimmer’s presentation of credentials to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on 7 October 2026.

The funding will support two projects agreed during the 2025 Namibia-Germany bilateral negotiations on development cooperation held in Lüderitz.

One project will support Namibia’s efforts to expand access to modern and sustainable energy services, with the country targeting an increase in energy access from 59.3% to 70% by 2030.

The second project will focus on developing sustainable value chains for critical raw materials, with emphasis on local value addition, transparency and economic opportunities linked to the global energy transition.

The new projects build on existing German-Namibian cooperation in the energy sector, which has supported the construction or replacement of approximately 1 300 kilometers of transmission lines, as well as the expansion and rehabilitation of the Ruacana Hydropower Plant.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the two sides to discuss Namibia’s development priorities and the progress of bilateral cooperation following the Namibian-German Strategic Dialogue held in Opuwo in September 2026.

NamPower’s existing generation fleet includes the 347 MW Ruacana hydroelectric power station, the 120 MW Van Eck coal-fired power station, the 76.5 MW Anixas power station and the 20 MW Omburu solar PV plant.

The utility has completed several generation projects in recent years, including the 54 MW Anixas II project in November 2024 and the 20 MW Khan Solar PV independent power producer project in May 2025.

The 20 MW Omburu PV project was completed in March 2022.

In the short term, NamPower has a 100 MW Rosh Pinah Solar PV project scheduled for the first quarter of 2027 and a 51 MW, one-hour Omburu battery energy storage system targeted for the third quarter of 2026.

Projects planned over the medium term include the 50 MW Cerim Wind project, a 44 MW Diaz Wind project, a 45 MW Lithops battery energy storage system, an 80 MW Omburu PV expansion, a 40 MW biomass project and a 120 MW solar PV independent power producer project.

NamPower’s longer-term strategic projects include the 440 MW Baynes Hydro Power Plant, with Namibia’s offtake targeted for 2032/33, a 475 MW gas-to-power project and a 300 MW Mega Wind project.