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State utility Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) plans to build a solar PV plant to replace the Rosh Pinah wind project, which was shelved in late 2022 because the site’s wind resource was lower than anticipated. African Energy spoke to managing director Kahenge Simson Haulofu about NamPower's plans for the project.

Control over African mineral reserves means governments now hold a lot of the cards in negotiating with corporations and political leaders, during a period of rising global demand and shifting power balances. Industry players now argue that more equitable partnerships may finally be on the table.

Following controversy around a Chinese-backed lithium project, the Namibian government has banned exports of unprocessed critical mineral exports in a bid to encourage the development of more domestic processing. Six other projects with integrated processing plants for lithium, graphite and cobalt are, however, making advances, write Marc Howard and Our Namibia Correspondent.

Recent activity by developers and investors shows a sharp upturn in momentum for six critical minerals projects in Namibia, all of which include the in-country processing the government is urgently promoting. The projects include three lithium, two graphite and one cobalt development.

Along with diamond and gold, critical minerals – notably uranium and zinc – already form an important part of the Namibian mining sector. Although the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan ushered in a prolonged period of low uranium prices, analysts expect a resurgence as net-zero-focused countries turn to nuclear power.

Investment in exploration and production (E&P) activity is increasing around the continent, with emerging resource holders in the south and east of the continent now often attracting more international interest than the more established arenas of northern and west-central Africa, writes James Gavin.

Netherlands-based investors are setting up $1bn funds in both South Africa and Namibia, in partnership with local investors, to accelerate the development of green hydrogen projects in the two countries.

An official spokesman has told African Energy’s Windhoek correspondent that media reports saying the government could be looking to take stakes in existing mining and hydrocarbons licences were untrue.

Establishing a reliable financial framework for building cross-border power interconnections may be the single most effective way to improve electrification across sub-Saharan Africa. Yet bureaucratic impediments are holding up progress at an important scheme, the Southern Africa Power Pool (Sapp)’s Regional Transmission Infrastructure Financing Facility (RTIFF), which could implement its first projects in two to three years – with the right support.

Xinfeng Investment’s mining licence 243, which the Chinese firm intended to use to build a lithium mine and processing plant, has been revoked by the Namibian government, which said it was misled. There had been significant local opposition to Xinfeng’s plans, and a history of controversy surrounding the licence, write Marc Howard and Our Namibia Correspondent, in a special feature jointly published with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Finland’s AW-Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Namibia’s Kaoko Green Energy Solutions to launch a pilot project to test the potential for harnessing wave energy along the Swakopmund coast. Kaoko’s flagship project is the Purros Hydrogen Hub (PHH), which includes plans for the production of 35 t/yr of ammonia as a green hydrogen (GH2) carrier.

State utility Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Chinese/local Cerim Lüderitz Energy for the Karas wind power project, close to the southern coastal town of Lüderitz, which is being developed on a build-own-operate model.

Namibia's Otjiwarongo municipality has called for expressions of interest (EoIs) for transaction advisory services for a wastewater treatment plant and waste-to-energy power plant under a public/private partnership (PPP) structure.

The continent’s main crude grades are finding themselves priced out of the largest Asian markets including China and India, although in the longer term there may be a way for African players to benefit from the advent of cheaper Russian supplies.

Rössing Uranium, operator of Namibia’s oldest uranium mine, is inviting expressions of interest (EoI) for electricity supply, with three potential options on offer to bidders.