Chamwe Kaira
Alpha Namibia Industries Renewable Power Limited (Anirep) has commissioned its first utility-scale battery energy storage system at its solar plant in Otjiwarongo.
The system is a 3-megawatt and 10-megawatt-hour battery facility integrated with the expanded 13.42-megawatt peak solar photovoltaic plant.
Anirep managing director Iyaloo ya Nangolo said the development marks a step toward improving the reliability of Namibia’s electricity supply.
The battery system stores excess solar power generated during the day and releases it later when demand increases.
This allows electricity produced during peak sunlight hours to be used in the evening when solar generation is not available.
The system can also help manage peak electricity demand and support grid stability.
According to Anirep, the Otjiwarongo solar plant was first commissioned in 2015 as Namibia’s first privately developed grid-connected solar facility.
The project started before the introduction of the renewable energy feed-in tariff programme and marked the private sector’s early involvement in renewable power generation.
Like many early renewable energy projects, the plant operated under a tariff structure that allowed annual increases based on the consumer price index plus 5%.
By 2020, the tariff had risen to about N$1.87 per kilowatt-hour.
Anirep later reduced the escalation from the consumer price index plus 5% to the consumer price index only, even though the original tariff agreement was fixed for 25 years.
The company said the adjustment was intended to limit the long-term cost impact on electricity consumers and maintain a stable partnership with its off-taker, CENORED.
Without the change, the tariff would have reached about N$3.13 per kilowatt-hour today.
By 2023 the tariff had increased to about N$1.96 per kilowatt-hour, leading to further discussions between the partners on how to lower electricity costs while improving system performance.
Anirep proposed reducing the tariff to N$1.34 per kilowatt-hour with a fixed escalation in exchange for expanding the plant’s capacity and adding energy storage.
The expansion and battery installation were carried out under this agreement.
The integration of battery storage now allows the facility to supply more electricity at a lower cost while improving reliability.
Energy storage is becoming important for renewable energy systems because it allows electricity produced during peak production periods to be stored and used when demand increases or generation fluctuates.
Anirep said the Otjiwarongo project shows how renewable energy development in Namibia is moving beyond electricity generation to include storage and improved system integration.
The project was implemented through cooperation with several partners, including Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (Cenored), NamPower, the Electricity Control Board (ECB), Huawei, HopSol Africa, EMCON and other consultants and subcontractors.
