By: Hee-Dee Walenga
The Electricity Control Board (ECB), in collaboration with GET.transform officially launched an Embedded Generation Online Application Platform intended to digitalise and advance the Electricity Supply Industry of Namibia.
Namibia becomes only the third country in Africa to launch such a platform. South Africa was the first, launching theirs in 2024.
Eswatini went live with their platform one day before Namibia did.
In simple terms, the platform will not only operate as a registration portal, it will also act as an application and evaluation platform for embedded generation.
A practical example of embedded generation is when a home or business owner has solar panels installed on their roof and sells the excess power to NamPower or one of the REDs.
“This platform makes the registration for that process much easier,” Zibusiso Ndlovu, Senior Project Coordinator for Sustainable Energy Africa, told The Villager.
Potential clients can submit all their information about their system [size and equipment used] and then the utility will evaluate if it is suitable to connect to the network.
Once approved, you start enjoying the benefits of netmetering,” Ndlovu added.
The digitisation of this process reduces the wait time for approval.
The above process could take anywhere from 90 to 180 days to complete. Now, generators can receive approval within a week.
Speaking at the launch, ECB CEO Robert Kahimise, explained that Namibia has made the move to keep up with the times.
“We are seeing a steady rise in embedded and renewable generation. It is happening. Nobody can stop it,” the CEO expressed.
“By launching this unified online platform with standardised rules, Namibia becomes one of the first subject states to give applicants, utilities, and the regulator a single source of growth,” Kahimise added.
Kahimise went on to say that the platform will give Namibia a competitive advantage in attracting distributed investment and keeping that investment safe and compliant.
He also clarified that the Electricity Act never prohibited anyone from distributing and generating power.
“But we have now been forced to do so due to the low population densities and the pressure on the tariff aspect. We also expect our transmitter to respond accordingly,” Kahimise said.
According to Kahimise, the launch positions Namibia to lead the regional conversation on how African countries can safely and efficiently integrate millions of small generators into aging distribution networks.
Representing GET.transform, GIZ Namibia Country Director, Tobias Gerster, explained that the system is necessary because electricity generation is changing faster than the regulatory frameworks that are meant to govern the practice.
“Consumers are becoming suppliers. Across the country, homes, businesses and institutions are adding solar power capacities and other embedded generation capacities. We do not know where they are and how much they produce,” he remarked.
Head of the EU Delegation to Namibia, Ana-Beatriz Martins, echoed Gerster’s sentiments.
“This is an exciting development that brings new opportunities for Namibia. Digitalisation can make regulating the sector more transparent. The aim is not to simply put applications online.
It is to make it easier, faster, and more predictable to connect distributed generation while maintaining grid security and protecting consumers,” she said.
Over 40 employees from the REDs, the City of Windhoek, NamPower, and ECB were trained to set up and use the new platform.
