Renewable
A new hydro scheme on the lower Kunene River is, in spite of its environmental costs, the cheapest way to increase Namibia’s power capacity, according to the feasibility study.
Building a hydropower plant at one of the two currently considered sites at Epupa or at Baynes mountains on the lower Kunene River would cost less than the next cheapest options.
The report was compiled by Namibian, Swedish, Norwegian and Angolan consultants. It is pessimistic about the near- to medium-term future for renewables in Namibia, because conventional fuel sources are cheap, and likely to remain so for the next 20 years. In the long-term, however, wind and solar power could become more attractive. The report concludes that Namibia should maintain a foothold in renewable technology.
The report points out that the new 400 kV interconnector power line being built between Windhoek and the South African power grid will enable Namibia to import enough power to cover its projected needs for the next two decades.
The report summarises the choices as follows: building a hydropower plant at Epupa would save $25 million over the life of the project, or $85 million compared to the next cheapest form of generating power. Are these savings are more or less important than preserving environmental features affected by the hydro schemes?
TablesComparative estimated costs