Renewable energy industry task forces to unlock investment

The domestic renewable energy industry is moving to tackle regulatory, financing, skills and quality constraints that could potentially undermine the country’s efforts to turn its exceptional renewable energy resources into a meaningful economic sector. In this regard, the Renewable Energy Industry Association of Namibia (REIAoN) has established six task forces aimed at addressing some of the most pressing barriers facing the industry, while creating greater opportunities for Namibian businesses to participate in the country’s energy transition.

The initiative was announced during an industry engagement held in Windhoek on 17 September in collaboration with JinkoSolar, one of the world’s largest solar technology manufacturers. REIAoN chairperson Paulus Mulunga said Namibia could not afford to remain merely a market in which foreign companies sell renewable energy equipment.

“We need Namibian companies participating. We need skilled Namibians. We need investment. We need appropriate regulation. We need quality standards. We need financing,” said Mulunga. He added that stronger cooperation was required between government, regulators, utilities, the private sector, financial institutions, academia and development partners.

The association aims to position itself as the central private-sector coordinating force for Namibia’s renewable energy industry and as a unified voice in the country’s energy transition. A major focus will be regulatory engagement with institutions including the Electricity Control Board (ECB), NamPower, electricity distributors and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy.

Mulunga noted that the industry needed practical solutions to issues ranging from generator licensing and net metering to 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. For businesses seeking to invest in renewable energy, regulatory uncertainty can translate directly into higher project risks and financing costs.

REIAoN’s task forces are therefore intended not simply as advocacy structures, but as mechanisms through which industry-specific problems can be identified and addressed with relevant stakeholders.

One of the six task forces will concentrate on PV GreenSeal and installer quality. Mulunga warned that rapid expansion without adequate quality controls could damage consumer confidence and make banks and insurers more reluctant to support renewable energy projects.

“We cannot build an industry where poor installations damage consumer confidence,” he said.

The task force will seek to strengthen professional standards among solar photovoltaic installers while improving confidence among consumers, financial institutions and insurers. The issue has a direct commercial dimension as renewable energy systems represent substantial investments for households and businesses. Poor installation quality could result in equipment failures, financial losses and reputational damage to the broader industry.

Meanwhile, REIAoN is also seeking to bring banks, insurers and investors closer to the renewable energy sector. Mulunga stressed that technological viability alone does not guarantee that a project will proceed.

“A renewable energy project is not successful simply because the technology works. It must also be bankable,” he said.

The association wants greater understanding between renewable energy developers and financial institutions, including clearer appreciation of project risks, insurance requirements and financing structures.

The task force approach could therefore help bridge a significant gap between renewable energy companies seeking capital and financial institutions assessing the risks associated with relatively new technologies and business models.

REIAoN added that Namibia should use the growth of renewable energy to create jobs, upgrade technical skills, facilitate technology transfer and develop domestic businesses rather than simply increasing imports of equipment. Its Suppliers and Manufacturing Task Force will examine opportunities for Namibian businesses to participate more meaningfully in the renewable energy supply chain, including potential local manufacturing and value addition where commercially viable.

This could become increasingly important as large-scale solar, battery storage, green hydrogen and other energy projects expand in Namibia. The six task forces cover PV GreenSeal and Installer Quality; Net Metering and Distributed Energy; IPPs and Green Industries; Electric Mobility; Government and Political Engagement; and Suppliers and Manufacturing.

The Net Metering and Distributed Energy Task Force will focus on creating a regulatory environment that enables households and businesses to generate their own electricity and integrate battery storage. The IPPs and Green Industries Task Force will address private-sector generation, including licensing, legislation, grid access and power purchase arrangements, while examining links between renewable energy and broader green industries.

Electric mobility will also receive dedicated attention as the growth of electric vehicles creates new demand for charging infrastructure, grid capacity, energy storage and investment.

Meanwhile, the Government and Political Engagement Task Force will communicate industry challenges and proposed solutions to political leadership, with the objective of keeping renewable energy within Namibia’s wider economic and industrialisation agenda.

In addition, Mulunga urged the industry to look beyond Namibia’s borders, saying: “We are part of SADC. The region has significant energy challenges, and electricity demand will continue to grow,” he said.

He argued that Namibia’s exceptional solar resource could provide the country with an opportunity to develop into an important renewable energy and electricity hub for the region.

For REIAoN, the challenge now is to translate that natural advantage into commercially viable projects, stronger domestic participation and a functioning renewable energy ecosystem.

– ebrandt@nepc.com.na

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