Namibia presents an unusual renewable energy picture. Renewable sources dominate the electricity generated inside the country, and most installed generating capacity is renewable. At the same time, Namibia remains heavily dependent on imported electricity because its domestic power system is small, seasonal and unable to meet national demand throughout the year.
Renewable development is therefore not simply a transition from fossil fuels. It is an attempt to build greater energy independence, expand electricity access and support new mining and industrial activity. Solar power offers the fastest route to additional domestic generation, while storage and transmission will determine how reliably that power can be used. Beyond the grid, planned green hydrogen projects could create an export industry far larger than Namibia’s existing electricity sector.
A High Renewable Share Can Still Hide Import Dependence
Renewables represented approximately 76% of Namibia’s installed electricity capacity in 2024. Hydropower accounted for about 59% of renewable capacity, solar for 40% and wind for around 1%. During 2023, renewable sources produced 90% of the electricity generated inside Namibia.[1]
Those figures could suggest that the country already has a largely self-sufficient clean power system. In practice, Namibia has imported as much as 70% of its electricity from neighboring countries. Much of this regional power has historically come from fossil-fuel-based stations, particularly within the wider Southern African Power Pool.[2]
The apparent contradiction exists because renewable percentages describe Namibia’s domestic plants, not the full volume of electricity consumed. Local generation is limited relative to demand, and the largest domestic power station cannot produce at the same level throughout the year.
Reducing imports is now a central policy objective. Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan sets a goal of increasing locally installed generation capacity from a 2025 baseline of 734 megawatts to 1,153 megawatts by 2030. It also seeks to increase renewable generation capacity from 367 to 700 megawatts.[3]
Ruacana Is Both the Backbone and the Constraint
The 347-megawatt Ruacana Power Station on the Kunene River is Namibia’s most important domestic generating asset. It is a run-of-river hydropower plant, meaning its output depends heavily on river flow rather than a large reservoir capable of storing water across seasons.[4]
Ruacana produced approximately 1,695 gigawatt-hours in 2023, equal to about 69% of Namibia’s domestic electricity generation. Solar supplied another 506 gigawatt-hours, while wind contributed approximately 26 gigawatt-hours.[1]
Hydropower gives Namibia access to relatively low-cost renewable electricity, but Ruacana’s seasonal operating pattern creates a structural weakness. Output may be high when rainfall and upstream river conditions are favorable, then fall during dry periods. Namibia must compensate with imports, stored electricity or more expensive thermal generation.
This dependence also links the country’s power security to water conditions outside its main demand centers. Adding solar and wind can diversify domestic production, but variable generation creates its own balancing requirements. Namibia therefore needs a broader system in which hydropower, solar, wind, batteries and regional trade support one another.
Solar Offers the Fastest Route to New Domestic Supply
Namibia has extensive land, low population density and exceptionally strong solar resources. Solar PV is particularly suitable because projects can be developed at several scales, from utility power stations to mines, commercial properties, farms, mini-grids and individual homes.
The 20-megawatt Omburu solar plant near Omaruru became NamPower’s first utility-scale renewable project of its type. It was designed to produce approximately 63 gigawatt-hours annually and was constructed in a form that could later accommodate storage.[5]
A much larger project is now being developed near Rosh Pinah. NamPower began construction of the 100-megawatt Sores |Gaib solar power station in June 2025. The project carries an investment value of approximately N$1.6 billion and is expected to create more than 300 direct construction jobs. Its engineering and construction arrangements include a commitment to allocate 25% of the contract price to local content.[6]
NamPower is also planning the 80-megawatt Omburu Solar PV II project beside the existing Omburu facility. Commercial operation is planned for the fourth quarter of 2028, subject to procurement, financing and construction progress.[7]
These projects are important not only because they add renewable capacity. They increase the amount of electricity Namibia can produce for itself, reducing its exposure to regional shortages and changing import prices. Solar generation also matches daytime demand from mining, commerce, air conditioning and water systems.
Storage Can Turn Solar Power into System Security
Solar production rises during the day and falls quickly in the evening, when household demand may remain high. Namibia therefore needs storage and flexible grid operations if solar is to replace firm imports rather than merely supplement them at midday.
The Omburu Battery Energy Storage System is designed as Namibia’s first utility-scale storage project. Its planned rating is 54 megawatts with 54 megawatt-hours of storage capacity.[2]
The battery will be able to store surplus renewable electricity and lower-cost power purchased through the Southern African Power Pool. That electricity can then be released during peak periods, reducing the need for expensive imports or emergency generation. The system can also respond rapidly to short-term changes in solar and wind output, helping maintain grid frequency and stability.
Storage does not remove the need for transmission investment. Namibia’s large distances mean that strong renewable sites are often far from Windhoek, mines, towns and industrial customers. Grid reinforcement will be needed to connect new projects, move electricity between regions and prevent transmission congestion.
The development of a more open electricity market may also encourage mines and other large customers to contract directly with independent renewable producers. This could expand investment beyond NamPower’s own construction program, although new projects must still be coordinated with national transmission capacity and system-reliability requirements.
Green Hydrogen Operates on an Entirely Different Scale
Namibia’s green hydrogen strategy is not simply an extension of its domestic solar program. It is a proposed industrial and export sector that could require several times the capacity of the country’s existing electricity system.
The largest proposal is the Hyphen project near Lüderitz. At full scale, the developer describes a system containing approximately seven gigawatts of renewable generation and three gigawatts of electrolyser capacity. It is intended to produce as much as two million tonnes of green ammonia annually for regional and international markets.[8]
This electricity would mainly support hydrogen and ammonia production rather than enter the existing national grid. The project could nevertheless stimulate investment in ports, desalination, roads, transmission, construction skills and industrial services. It could also create demand for local manufacturing and provide low-carbon inputs for mining, fertilizers, shipping fuels and future green-metal production.
The scale of the proposal should be separated from its current development status. Hyphen remains a project under preparation rather than an operating renewable complex. The African Development Bank approved a $10 million loan in December 2025 to support development work, showing institutional interest but also the amount of planning still required.[9]
Commercial demand remains a major issue. German utility RWE withdrew in 2025 from an earlier non-binding arrangement to explore purchasing green ammonia from the project. No final purchase contract had been signed. The decision reflected the slower development of European hydrogen demand and illustrated the difficulty of financing large production facilities before long-term buyers are secured.[10]
Domestic Access Must Remain Part of the Transition
Large export projects attract international attention, but Namibia’s renewable program also has a domestic development role. The national electricity-access rate was estimated at 59.3% in the government’s 2025 planning baseline, with a target of 70% by 2030.[3]
Extending the conventional grid across a large and lightly populated country can be expensive. Distributed solar systems, mini-grids and battery-supported local networks can provide practical alternatives for remote settlements, farms, tourism facilities and public services. These systems can reduce the need for long transmission extensions while improving access to lighting, refrigeration, communications, education and small-business equipment.
The government also expects green industries to create employment. Its development plan seeks to increase green-sector jobs from a baseline of around 800 in 2025 to 30,000 by 2030. Reaching that target will require more than construction employment. Namibia will need electricians, engineers, plant operators, environmental specialists, technicians, logistics workers and local suppliers capable of participating throughout the project lifecycle.[3]
The strongest outcome would connect the export and domestic parts of the strategy. Renewable investment should strengthen the national grid, support local industrial processing, expand access and build technical capacity rather than operating only as an isolated system serving overseas markets.
Namibia’s Renewable Outlook
Namibia has the natural resources to produce far more renewable electricity than it currently consumes. Its immediate priority, however, is not large-scale export. It is replacing imported electricity with reliable domestic supply.
Solar projects, the Omburu battery and transmission upgrades can reduce import dependence during the present decade. Ruacana will remain essential, but a more diversified system will be less exposed to changes in river flow.
Green hydrogen could later transform the scale of Namibia’s renewable economy, although its success will depend on finance, international demand, water infrastructure, environmental approvals and long-term purchase contracts. Namibia’s renewable transition will be most durable if utility-scale power, distributed access and export-oriented industry develop together.
