Grid stability slows solar development

A Small Modular Reactor (SMR) could offer a viable solution to Namibia’s long-term energy needs, according to Kahenge Simson Haulofu, Managing Director of national electricity utility NamPower.Speaking at a recent consultative meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the economy and industry, public administration and planning, alongside the Presidential Productivity Task Force on Energy, Haulofu encouraged lawmakers to seriously consider nuclear energy in the form of SMRs.He cautioned, however, that full-scale nuclear power plants require significant groundwork, including extensive legislative amendments. “It requires a lot of work,” he said, noting that current national policies and local laws would need to be revised before any nuclear energy ambitions could be realised.Haulofu was responding to a question from Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani, who queried the time and cost implications of expanding uranium production to generate domestic nuclear power.Haulofu explained that access to land, licences and permits would be time-consuming, as would international requirements, particularly securing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approvals for uranium enrichment.He proposed that SMRs offer a more immediate and manageable solution. A single SMR with a capacity of 150 MW could be a suitable starting point, using imported enriched uranium fuel. Due to its modular nature, additional reactors could be added as demand grows, he said.Strategic partnerships essentialRegardless of the scale, Namibia will require a strategic partner for any nuclear venture, Haulofu emphasised. He pointed to South Africa’s Koeberg nuclear power station, which is operated through a long-standing partnership between Eskom and French firm Areva, from whom Eskom sources enriched uranium fuel.Namibia could follow a similar route, selecting a strategic partner and negotiating terms around investment responsibilities.Ben Nangombe, Executive Director of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, confirmed that government preparations for nuclear energy are already underway. He said the Atomic Energy Board had, in consultation with the IAEA, developed a national strategy two years ago.A staff member has been seconded to the IAEA, and 19 infrastructure issues requiring attention before a nuclear power plant can be built have already been identified. These include a formal government decision, the creation of relevant regulations, and other prerequisites that typically take 10 to 15 years to complete.“Our options are many, ranging from an SMR to a full-scale gigawatt nuclear station, which could cost up to US$1 billion,” Nangombe noted.Base-load power needed Haulofu stressed that the country’s lack of new base-load energy capacity poses a serious threat to grid stability. “Namibia has not developed any base-load capacity since time immemorial,” he said.He warned that Namibia’s plans to generate 60% of its energy from renewables by 2035, amounting to between 600 MW and 700 MW, will be hampered by the intermittent nature of sources such as solar power.When the sun does not shine, other energy sources must compensate immediately to maintain frequency and voltage stability. Currently, these stabilising services are being imported at a cost.“This year we were lucky with good rains in the Kunene River, but we were tripping daily at Ruacana. There’s a lot of intermittency, but you wouldn’t notice a flicker in the lights because Eskom steps in within milliseconds. We’ve been paying for that service,” Haulofu explained. He warned that this reliance on imported support increases costs and weakens Namibia’s energy independence.Haulofu also noted that grid capacity constraints have discouraged potential investors in the renewable energy sector. “Solar power flowing into the grid already exceeds what earlier studies said the grid can accommodate,” he said.Nangula Uaandja, Chairperson of the Productivity Task Force and CEO of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), said such limitations had forced her team to slow down efforts to attract foreign investment in solar energy.She highlighted Namibia’s limited local generation capacity as an urgent issue requiring national attention.

Grid stability slows solar development

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Republikein 2025-07-22

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Grid stability slows solar development

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