Matheus Hamutenya
ROSHPINAH – Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo inaugurated the five megawatts Rosh Pinah solar power plant last Friday aimed at increasing Namibia’s energy production.
The power plant started flowing energy into the Nampower’s grid in August last year. The solar plant was constructed at a cost of about N$ 120 million by Namibian company Aloe Energy Investment, in partnership with Spanish company, AEE Power.
The former Director General of the National Planning Commission (NPC) further said that there is a need to look at regulations and procedures within the ministry to allow for things to be done fast and effectively.
He said he was lost for words when he learnt that the wind power project at Lüderitz took almost eight years to complete, and he noted that this can no longer continue if Namibia is to realise its vision of being an industrialised country come 2030.
“For us to be industrialised we need to change our ways of doing things, it cannot take eight years for a wind power plant to be constructed, so we need to look at our procedures, and coordination of our activities,” he stated.
//Kharas Regional Governor Lucia Basson also echoed the minister, saying with projects like the solar plant coming up, she hopes to see a reduction in electricity prices in the near future.
She added that the //Kharas Region has the potential to produce more electricity through solar plants, saying the country should use the power of the sun to power households, and she therefore called on investors to flock to the region to make this possible.
“I hope with so many solar plants coming up electricity can be cheaper for our people, and we can produce our own electricity and be independent in the near future, so I want to call on investors to come and invest in the region,” she said.