JUNE, 2019
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY News & Analysis
Solar Energy – Drought Resistance
IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE: Solar Borehole Systems in Namibia Can RE Powered Desalination be the Answer to Namibia’s Water Crisis? Who's Who? Featuring PREN Project
The NAMIBIA Country Briefing of RDJ Consulting
C O N T E N T S 4
5
FromTheEditor
Quick Facts
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7
Economy at a Glance
Oil & Gas
8
9
Uranium
Electricity
11
12
Renewable Energy
Water
17
18
The Environment and Telecommunications Sustainabilty
19
20
Roads and Transport
Financing
22
25
Who's Who
Tenders and Careers
26
27
UpNext
Contributing Authors
JUNE, 2019
From the editor SOLAR ENERGY – DROUGHT RESISTANCE Dear Reader, Welcome to another look at the Energy and Sustainability landscape of Namibia as compiled by our talented team of interns. Despite the challenges they face between gaining experience and their studies, they have once more come through with a stunning edition. As technology and the challenges of meeting our ever-increasing resource needs march on, we are in this time frame focused on how best to combat the impacts of climate change. This month’s edition continues to help focus our minds on the need to urgently address the water challenges of this drought period and beyond. We however must remind ourselves that many of the challenges that we face can be resolved by our individual choices going forward. The choice of refusing a single-use plastic bag or walking instead of driving for a simple task is but a few of the things in our individual control that will ultimately benefit all by reducing demand. Please therefore enjoy this edition and feel free to reach out to us in anyway. Further, if you are new to the RDJ Briefing, subscribe to this FREE Publication at briefing@rdjconsulting.co.za and freely share the link to others that will benefit from its contents.
RDJ Consulting Services CC is an advisory consultancy to the Energy, Water and Transport Sectors with a focus on sustainable operations and renewable energy.
PO Box 23738 Windhoek, NAMIBIA Telephone +264 61 400 171 EMAIL briefing@rdjconsulting.co.za WEBSITE ww.rdjconsulting.co.za
Enjoy….
( David A. Jarrett) Editor
Authors RDJ Interns*
This report is a FREE Publication and was prepared by RDJ Consulting Services CC based in Windhoek, Namibia. The content is collated from publicly available information and so its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
quick facts Population size: 2.3 Million Employment: 66.6% Literacy rate: 89.0% GDP Growth (2018): -0.1% Repo Rate: 6.75 % Interest rate (Prime): 10.5% Inflation (CPI): 4.1% Industries: Tourism, Mining, Fishing Telecom (sophistication): LTE Mobile - cell phones: 2.575 million Subscribers Water availability: 8 800 000 cubic litres/capita Electricity Gen. (Local): 484.000 MW Electricity Demand (all): 629.000 MW www.rdjconsulting.co.za
6 JUNE, 2019
economy at a glance Namibia’s Economic Performance Update
Figure 1 Data Source: Data Source - Namibia Statistics Agency
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he Namibian economy slid by 2.0 percent in the April 2019 quarter. As illustrated in Figure 1 above, the Country observed a decline in the activities of economic sectors such as construction, wholesale & retail trade, Agriculture & Forestry (as result poor rainfall received in the country), and hotel & restaurants between the first quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2019. As a way forward, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) advised the government to stick to its fiscal stance of consolidation and ensure that competitive structural reforms are put in place. Meanwhile Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has called on the financial sector to find light steps on their clients upon defaulting, as this allows them to conduct economic activities that might be necessary for economic recovery.
MTC to be listed on the NSX MTC, the Mobile telecommunications firm has started the process of listing itself on the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) in June 2019. The process that is estimated to take roughly 15 months, and once finalised, the company will be the first Public Enterprise to list on the NSX.
Namibia’s 2019 Economic Summit The Namibian government will be hosting an Economic Summit in July 2019 under the theme 'Economic Revival for Inclusive Growth Strengthening the Namibian House', and has prospects of attracting approximately US$ 1 billion in investments to country.
FNB offers new banking services
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ocally known as First National Bank of Namibia (FNB), implemented three new cash migration channels for its clients, which are: Cash@Till, eWallet@Till and FNB CashPlus.
What the Services Provide Firstly, the Cash@Till service allows the use of cards to withdraw cash with purchase. Secondly, eWallet@Till allows purchase of items at selected retailers using eWallet balances, and lastly CashPlus allows FNB and non-FNB clients can deposit and withdraw cash at FNB Cash Plus Merchants. Meanwhile, FNB believes that that digital banking remains a core strategic pillar for the bank, "both from an enablement and convenience perspective".
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
JUNE, 2019 7
oil & gas ReconAfrica Acquires Exploration Licence in Namibia
Figure 2 Image Source - ReconAfrica
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econAfrica, a junior Oil and Gas company has been granted an exploration license covering approximately 25 341.33 Square Kilometres (6.3 million acres) in the Kavango Basin. The results of the survey conducted on the licensed area cofirm that "the Kavango Basin reaches depths of up to 30 000 feet, under optimal conditions to preserve a thick interval of organic rich marine shales, and is anticipated to hold an active petroleum system.” The company’s geology team outlined that “Namibian basins Karasburg, Nama, Waterberg, Huab and Owambo support potential for adequate thickness of resource-prone sediments. Preliminary analyses indicate basin depths supportive of oil and gas thermal maturation levels”. Within a year, the company expects to commence drilling processes. Meanwhile, they intend to conclude the EIA, drilling documentation, locations to be drilled (assumed to be three) and the whole drilling procurement process. 90 percent of the Petroleum Exploration License 73 belongs to ReconAfrica and 10 percent is NAMCOR. The first stage of exploration ends on January 29, 2024 and depending on the prospects of the outcome of the latter, another one will be granted and it will end in January 29, 2026. The exploration discovery will grant ReconAfrica an over 20 years of production. 5 percent and 35 percent are expected in royalties and corporate tax respectively. www.rdjconsulting.co.za
June 2019 Fuel Price The Ministry of Mines and Energy reported a 30 cents per litre (c/l) increase on fuel price which was effective as of 5 June 2019. The increase effects will be as follows: 95 Octane Unleaded petrol: N$ 13.05 per liter & Diesel 50 ppm: N$ 13.63 per liter
8 JUNE, 2019
uranium Uranium Mining in Namibia: A Blessing and Challenge AUTHOR: Priscila Olga - Economist @ RDJ Consulting EDITOR: David Jarrett, Managing Consultant @ RDJ Consulting
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amibia is a country with various natural resources, including diamonds, uranium, copper, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt and vanadium. Diamond and uranium mining are by far the two most vital industries in Namibia.
When it comes to mining, and specifically Uranium, Namibia can be considered a ‘blessed nation’. This is because by 2015, the Sector was the largest contributor to the Namibian economy, with a contribution of up to 25% of the country’s annual income. At that time, Namibia’s two major mines alone, (Rössing Uranium and Langer Heinrich) provided about five percent of the world's uranium oxide mining output. The Namibia Trade Directory also indicated that Rössing Uranium alone produced about 2 per cent of the world's uranium output in 2015. Now in 2019, with the new world-class uranium mine, the Husab mine, production is expected to increase even further. Reports say that once in full production, Husab will be one of the largest uranium mines in the world, with potential output being more than Namibia’s current total uranium production. This should rank Namibia as the world’s third largest uranium producer, from the current sixth position worldwide. Standard Bank holds the view as reported by the Namibian Sun newspaper (7 May 2019) that Uranium production in Namibia is forecast to rise by 50% year-on-year in 2019, more than double the rate of expansion from 2018’s 20%; mainly because of the Husab open-pit mine’s production plans. Additionally, as part of expanding the sector, another exploration company Deep Yellow Limited (reported via miningweekly.com - June 2019) has recently set out a N$92.7 million quest to further grow its uranium base in Namibia through the issuing of 29 million shares at N$3.19 per share. The company is the ultimate shareholder of Reptile Mineral Resources and Exploration (Pty) Ltd, and has been listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange's development capital (DevX) board since 2008. Further progress and effort has been put in to the Mining Sector, through a decision-making moment for the the Namibia Competition Commission (NaCC) with regards to whether to approve the Rio Tinto’s sale of its 69 percent shares of the Rössing Uranium mine to the China National Uranium Corporation (CNUC) company. This has no received approval .
Image Source : www.kisspng.com
The Namibian government holds a three percent stake in Rössing but possesses the majority (51 percent) of voting rights. The Iranian Foreign Investment Company holds a 15 percent stake in Rössing. The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa owns 10 percent in the mine, while local individual shareholders own a combined three percent. With the mine having a lifespan stretching to 2025, and currently employing about 1000 people, the Government has a great responsibility in making a decision on whether it will be wise to accept the proposed sale of the mine’s shares or not. Meanwhile, and with all this in mind, it can be concluded that: mining in Namibia remains an economic blessing, coupled with some management and administrative challenges.
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
JUNE, 2019 9
electricity "Namibia's electricity demand stood at 652 megawatts in December 2018, excluding the Skorpion Zinc mine, which gets its electricity supply directly from Eskom. The country increased local generating capacity from 400 megawatts in 2015 to 557 megawatts in 2018 through NamPower and IPPs. " David Jarrett - RDJ Consulting
Image showing Transmission Polwelines : Image Credit - RDJ Consulting
Namibia Targets 80% of Locally Generated Power by 2020 NORED electrified 30 San houses At a cost of N$325 000, 30 San Community homes in Omundaungilo, a village in the Ohangwena region, got electrified by the Northern electricity Distributor (NORED) on 21 June, 2019. These same houses were built by the division for marginalised affairs in the office of the vice president at a cost of N$850 000 in May, 2019.
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t gives every economic participant of the developing world/or country unimaginable prospects when their country strives for self-sufficiency especially in energy provision. This involves, realising that imported energy is an increasingly high concern to prosper economically. During the Mining Expo and Conference, the Minister of Mines and Energy (MME) acknowledged the fact that Namibia still imports significant amount of electricity, and this is not a sign of a self-sufficient nation. Subsequently, the Minister highlighted that in the next four years Namibia should be consuming at least 80 percent of locally generated electricity. Despite the odds, Namibia celebrates some remarkable achievements thus far such as the increasing number of irradiation levels it is blessed with, as well as the newly inaugurated 37 Megawatts Hardap Solar PV Power Plant at Khoichas in Hardap region. Constructed by Alten Energy Consortium, the Plant has a running life of more than 20 years and is expected to produce an annual about 112 GWh of energy to the grid annually. This will cover 5 percent of energy demand annually, and hence contribute to Namibia’s efforts of energy independence. It is also reported that 81 Percent the Plant’s ownership belong to IPPs (Alten Africa, First Place Investment CC, Mangrove Pty Ltd and Talyeni Investments Pty Ltd). And this clearly complements the recently approved (by cabinet) Modified Single Buyer Market Model (MSB) objective for the industry to attract more Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and promote investment in the country. www.rdjconsulting.co.za
10 JUNE, 2019
The First SADC Industrial Energy Efficiency Conference in Namibia
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he SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREE), European Union, United Nations Development Organisations and Austrian Development Agency hosted a two day conference (16-17 May, 2019) in Windhoek under the theme “Stimulating Industrial Competitiveness through Energy Efficiency and Innovation in the SADC Region”. The conference “is one of the ways of implementing the SADC Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme (SIEEP),” which is notably SACREE’s initiative with the support of the EU. This Program aims at supporting the region by determining: how much has achieved in terms of Energy Efficiency (EE) what needs to be financed in the Energy Industry, and how the region can be competitive despite having insufficient energy at industrial levels Barriers to success identified were mostly the existence of incomprehensive strategies and targets as well as vague and less harmonised policies. Thus the SIEEP programme targets:
Image Source (all) : www.sacreee.org
Electricity Tariff Reduction for CoW Pensioners The City of Windhoek (CoW) will give its senior electricity consumers a 30 percent discount on their electricity tariffs. This was announced by the City'sMayor during a council’s meeting on 29 May 2019, who said that this is being done in line with the municipality's pro-social policies. It is reported that the registration process for those that are eligible has already begun. A few requirements for pensioners to qualify for the initiative are that they should at least have prepaid electricity meters, be owner of property and presently be living at the property
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Formulation of comprehensive EE policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks Capacity building and skills development Demonstration projects and awareness raising Financing interventions for EE/RE Initiatives Application of EE/RE in industries Domestication of EE/RE technologies in the SADC region. SACREE reports that the latter will be effected through putting in place standards on which the EE equipment can utilise minimum energy, energy audits and energy management systems, and accreditation of EE service providers. The Namibia Minister of Mines and Energy who opened the conference officially, highlighted that much (21 percent) of the energy in the Region’s Power Pool is resourced from Hydro and thus called the region to adopt and implement EE methods.
JUNE, 2019 11
renewable energy
PREN Project electrifies one more off-grid school The Epupa constituency had one of its schools, the Otjikoto Primary School provided with Electricity through the installation of a solar system at the school. This was made possible by Hans Seidel Foundation, through its well-known PREN (Promoting Renewable Energies in Namibia) Project. The principal acknowledge that students will no longer only have to study during the day but will get to study at night as well thanks to the efforts of the Foundation.
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
12 JUNE, 2019
water
Figure 2: Author's Compilation of the proposed 2019/20 Water Consumption Management guide for Windhoek Residents
Water Consumption Management in Windhoek
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he City of Windhoek (CoW) proposed to increase water tariffs by 10 percent and sewer by five percent for 2019/20, with effect from 01 July, 2019 due to the continuously observed unsustainable water consumption by its residents. This is associated to the 15 percent mandatory water saving rate to be effective on the same day, as the only way to abate the unsustainable consumption of water in the City. In order to assist its resident to manage their water usage, the CoW proposed consumption rates per number of people in a household, as illustrated in Figure 2 above. These can be achieved through monitoring your water consumption through reading your water meter once a week. Keeping up with consumption through water meter reading allow consumers to control water leakages, and at the same time control manage water expenses. The water saving programme called ‘Marshal’ is on its way to be launched with the aim to: carry out daily water meter reading in effort to do proper water consumption evaluations; do leakage inspections and isolations give special care to water reserved emergencies and apply efficiency in water materials www.kisspng.com NOTE: The information provided in the above article is obtained from the presentations of City of Windhoek representatives and, was exclusively provided by the Namibia Scientific Society during its conference on: Water Stakeholder Forum (21 May 2019): What about our water? How water secure are we? The Reader can read more at: http://www.namscience.com.na/ or documents.windhoekcc.org.na/
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
JUNE, 2019 13
The Drought Effect in Namibia
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Namibia is part of sub-Saharan Africa which is believed to be greatly susceptible to climate change. When a country faces severe drought a number of problems tend to occur, and the most prominent include: low crop yield decrease in livestock production decreased employment in sectors such as farming livestock immigration (which exacerbates the severity of the drought), closure of schools and health facilities as a result of the lack of water, water conflict between people as everyone tries to have access to and use the available water
In the end, all these lead to depletion of the existing water resources. Their natural occurrences may be inevitable, but mitigating actions such as availing resources to abate the situation have been identified to be possible. The Namibian government has taken steps of availing N$494.85 million to develop the water sector such as water supplies to rural areas. For example, a rural area in the Oshana region, Uuvudhiya is reported to have turned into a grazing home for three other regions’ livestock. Despite being a good grazing area for livestock, the increased number of animals grazing in the area has put pressure on the existing water sources, leading to a shortage of water supply to all livestock. According to the Chief Regional Officer (CRO) at Oshana, the common lake in the area “[Lake] Oponona has not received enough rain to recharge and as a result, the water is too salty for the animals while other earth dams have naturally dried up.” In effort to mitigate the problem, the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) has responded by allowing water to be pumped into to the canal that leads to Uuvudhiya. So far, it is reported that fourteen (14) dams have received water, in order which is to be supplied to areas of Uukwaludhi and Ongandjera. Furthermore, the council of the region has requested the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) to ready finances for water pipelines to areas away from Uuvudhiya in order to further decrease the number on livestock grazing there. Similarly, livestock of the residents of Mpungu village in the Kavango West Region have been affected by a shortage of water that was caused by a malfunctioning borehole. Apart from liveir livestock, residents were also affected by the situation. Correspondingly, the boreholes in //Karas region have become tardy at catching water and as a mitigation strategy, the residents are now being supplied with water from tanks. In the Oshikoto region, ground water levels have extremely lowered, resulting in boreholes supplied water becoming abysmal for human consumption. Consequently, the MAWF’s water tanker used to transport and store this water has become defunct. Meanwhile, many schools and clinics have been without enough water, and animals are reported to be drinking sewage water for survival. A regional representative there has called on the line ministry to avail at least N$10 million for completion of Omuntele water pump station which is by far 80 percent complete.
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AUTHOR: Fares Shipaxu - Economist @ RDJ Consulting
"All this situations are clearly the result of drought being faced by the country at present. Despite efforts by the local water corporation along with the MAWF to attend to the crisis, new mitigation strategies, as well as funding from donors are highly needed to assist such communities in overcoming such challenges. Water is life, hence neither people, animals nor plants can survive without it." Priscila Olga - Economist @RDJ Consulting
RDJ CONSULTING
SOLAR ENERGY DROUGHT RESISTANCE
JUNE, 2019 15
Solar Borehole Systems in Namibia
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amibia is a dry country that is characterized to have a subtropical desert climate. The country is one of the driest in Africa, south of the Sahara. It has limited surface water sources that are reliant on rainfall patterns that are extremely inconsistent. Fortunately, Namibia has good groundwater reserves which are the major source of water in the country. The country has been investing sizeable amounts of money in Conventional water pumping systems that have predominately been used to extract water from these ground water sources. Â A report on Groundwater in Namibia by G. Christelis and W. Struckmeier indicates that there where over 100,000 boreholes drilled in Namibia in the past century, half of which are operational today. These conventional Water Pumping Systems are expensive to operate and have a number of challenges such as expensive fuel (Petrol/Diesel). Technological advancements however have seen the introduction of Solar Powered groundwater Pumping Systems as an alternative Renewable solution to extract water from the underground sources. These Solar Powered solutions have been gaining traction in Namibia over the past couple of years as a reliable technology to extract water. A solar powered groundwater pumping system is powered by Solar Energy to draw ground water from a borehole. The system has Photovoltaic Panels that convert sunlight into direct current. The direct current is then fed straight through to the pump that draws the water to the surface. The water is then stored in a storage tank.
"The private sector is a key partner that can introduce the latest technological advancements in Solar Powered groundwater Pumping systems to the market." Paulus Mulunga
This is a cheap and effective method of extracting water from underground as it eliminates the need to have a finite fuel like diesel or petrol to run the pump when water is required. The Solar Powered Pumping Systems are very effective for a country like Namibia that has over 300 days of sunshine a year. This makes these solutions reliable. Namibia is currently experiencing a persistent drought, the second in the country in three years, with the Namibian president having declared a state of emergency due to is severity. Reliable technologies like Solar Powered groundwater Pumping systems that are cost
Author: Paulus Mulunga Managing Member at LSN (Light Systems Namibia)
effective can be a key catalyze to avert the catastrophe that is being experience by especially the farmers that are losing livestock in great numbers. food production is reported to be at an all time low with households unable to grow crops due to lack of rainfall. Solar Powered groundwater pumping systems are affordable technologies that can be used to mitigate the challenges experienced by farmers due to their durability and flexibility. These systems can be installed in remote areas with sufficient ground water with minimal challenges. These systems are easy to install with the products readily available. there are a number of competent companies in Namibia that are able to carry out installations of Solar Powered groundwater Pumping Systems of various sizes. The Namibian Government needs to formulate clear policies and strategies to tackle the drought. The private sector is a key partner that can introduce the latest technological advancements in Solar Powered groundwater Pumping systems to the market. Namibia has abundant solar energy resources that can be used in a cost-effective manor to manage the drought.
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
16 JUNE, 2019
"Namibia needs at least three desalination plants, in order to supply clean desalinated water to the entire country and address the water shortage." Professor Frank Kavishe - UNAM
Photo Credit: RDJ Consulting
Can RE Powered Desalination be the Answer to Namibia’s Water Crisis?
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fter so much effort put forth by representatives from both the University of Namibia (UNAM) and University of Turku, Finland, the team has successfully managed to pull of Namibia’s first Seawater Desalination Pilot Plant at at the at the UNAM Sam Nujoma Campus in Henties Bay in June, 2019.
desalinate seawater based entirely on solar energy”. He added that sunlight based power is caught from a variety of sun based photovoltaic boards and transmitted legitimately into the containerized desalination plant, to control the high weight siphon essential for the gulf crude water and the task of the high weight turn around assimilation films.
The Desalination Plant – Pilot Project Namibia recently celebrated the newly constructed seawater desalination plant at Hentis Bay UNAM Campus. The desalination plant despite being a Pilot Project, has a capacity of 30 million cubic metres of desalinated water (safe to drink) per year and is run on Solar Energy. This is equivalent to the projected water demand for Windhoek and surrounding areas by the year 2020. All this was thanks to a collaboration between the University of Namibia (UNAM) and University of Turku, Finland. The government is therefore urged to collaborate with friendly donors to upscale the plant as what is produce by the Plant is not enough to supply clean desalinated water to the entire country and address the water shortage. At least three desalination plants are needed to cater for National water needs he said.
Plant’s Operation According to one of the minds behind the innovation, UNAM’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development, the plant is “the first of its kind in the world because it uses reverse osmosis technology to
Crude seawater is siphoned from the sea and transported through a lot of channels to expel sand and all the objects that are not liquid from the water. The sifted seawater is then constrained through the invert assimilation layers to deliver clean desalinated water that is siphoned overhead stockpiling tanks. The concentrated salt arrangement known as “brine” or (saltwater) is a result that is expelled from the plant through waste pipes and allowed to flow to the sea. Moreover, the saline (saltwater) solution is also eligible for salt production.
Water Distribution Strategy and Execution Time Hourly, the plant supplies only 3000 litres of water, and hence is labelled as a take-off step towards the realisation of desalination water plants along all coastal lines (Swakopmund and Henties Bay, Kunene River, and Lüderitz) which would take away the water needs the country currently has, as it will remove the distance barriers in transporting water. However, more finance is needed to include places such as Windhoek. This would translate to 30 million cubic meters, pumping elevation of 1700 metres and pipelines.
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The Environment and Sustainability World Environment day in Namibia
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he World Environment Day which was held at Karasburg on 05 June 2019 saw number of items linked to Climate Change being pointed out by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism (MET). According to the deputy Minister, weather reports indicate that the country will have scorching weather conditions, with estimated temperature increase of one to 3.5 degrees Celsius in summer, and one to four degrees Celsius in winter by the year 2046.
Climate Change The current drought is linked to climate change and according to the deputy Minister, the country’s ecosystems will be affected due to wetlands. “Wetlands are likely to provide reduced ecosystem services such as water rendition, flood attenuation and water purification. Namibia's dominant grassy savannah vegetation is likely to disappear and give way to more desert and shrubland with projected increases in bush encroachment.� Nonetheless, the MET still counts on the National Climate Change Policy of 2011 and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which was approved by Cabinet in 2015 to have efforts on climate change, to work for the better.
Greenhouse Gas Due to its vast contribution to greenhouse gas emission, the agriculture sector aimed to: reduce deforestation rate by 75 % reforest 20 000 hectares annually from 2018 restore 15 million hectares of grassland by 2030 and practice conservation agriculture on 80 000 hectares
Burning of Waste Furthermore, burning of waste is increasingly practised in the country and this will soon come to an end, especially now that MET is in the process of developing the National Waste Management Regulations in terms of the Environmental Management Act.
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
18 JUNE, 2019
Telecommunications MTC increases its network coverage During May 2019, MTC erected more network towers in the towns of Ehafo, Uutsathima and Onamatanga in the Ohangwena and Omusati regions respectively. In addition, communities in the Ohangwena region such as Onhinda, Ohaukelo, Omundundu, Oshaango and Ombololo also received network connectivity. The towers are part of MTC’s 081 everyone campaign which aimed at increasing network coverage countrywide. MTC further plans to reach out to more towns that are without network such as the Amarika, Onanyanga, Eunda, Omuthitugonyama and Iilyateko towns in other regions.
Image Credit: http://kisspng.com
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
JUNE, 2019 19
Roads and Transport
Photo Credit: RDJ Consulting
WestAir Widens its Local Routs The Namibian Transport Commission has allowed Westair to launch local and regional passengers’ flights. The first flight was scheduled to take place on June 24, 2019 from Windhoek to Orandjemund. Ondangwa, Walvis, and two South African towns namely, Johannesburg and Cape Town are expected to be part of the operations.
New Road for Neu Sommerau Community
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local Chinese firm, Zhen Hua Construction Material CC has ploughed back to the Neu Sommerau community government resettlement farm near Kombat by constructing a 2.5 kilometre gravel road to the tune of N$3 million. Along with the road construction, a number of blankets worth N$40 000 was also donated to residents in the community during the inauguration ceremony of the newly constructed road. The road which was constructed in April and completed in late May this year will serve to make the Neu Sommerau resettlement farm more easily reachable by joining the farm to the tarred road between Otavi and Grootfontein.
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
20 JUNE, 2019
Financing AfDB to Double Climate Finance Commitments in Namibia
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peaking at the One Planet Summit taking place in Nairobi, the African Development Bank (AfDB) president announced that it will double its climate finance commitments for the period 2020-2025.
Considering Africa’s high vulnerability despite contributing the least to climate change, the AfDB has successfully raised its adaptation finance from less than 30% of total climate finance to parity with mitigation in 2018. The AfDB will continue this trend into the future. Furthermore, the Bank acknowledged that by simply asking countries to stay away from polluting technologies will not have an impactful solution on the problem. Under the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA 2.0) AfDB plans to therefore launch the ‘green baseload’ facility which is expected to offer concessional finance and technical assistance to support the penetration and scale-up of renewable energy, to provide affordable and reliable renewable energy baseload. Several donors, including Canada, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Italy, the UK and USAID have indicated their interest in this transformative instrument, which will also help to replace coal. The AfDB has played a critical role in building Africa’s clean energy capacities. The Bank’s last investment in a coal project was 10 years ago, and thus far, 95% of its full investments in power generation from 2016 to 2018 has been made in renewables. Other remarkable projects in the same sphere and financed by AfDB, are ongoing in other countries.
Namibia Received N$250 000 Drought Releif Donation
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amibia's Prime Minister reported to have received a donation of N$250 thousand from Swakop Uranium as part of their mine’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Swakop Uranium is a private company registered in Namibia, the owner of the Husab Mine which is located near Swakopmund on the west coast of Namibia. Currently Namibia is experiencing severe drought in most parts of the country following the driest rainfall season in 38 years. Crop production is significantly below average, while cattle are reported to be dying of thirst and lack of fresh grazing land. Based on a five-year average vulnerability assessment, 556 thousand people are estimated to be affected by the drought situation, which is almost one in five Namibians. The Government is therefore allocating this find into national drought relief solutions.
Photo Credit: www.unepfi.org
JUNE, 2019 21
The World Economic Forum's (WEF) 2017/18 Global Competitiveness Report place Namibia as the top African Country with the best roads in termsof quality of road infrastructure development. www.weforum.org
Image showing a well constructed road in Namibia Image Credit - RDJ Consulting
Potential Rescue Plan for RCC
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n order to rescue the Roads Contractor Company (RCC) from some of its financial challenges, senior government officials discussed on a proposal of possibility handing the state agency road maintenance contracts worth N$280 million over the next five years. The Transport Minister confirmed the ongoing discussions on the matter. One of the recommendations made in that submission is for the state-owned Roads Authority (RA) to allocate road maintenance work to the RCC for five years. Another was a plan for an RCC governance structure which would allow appointment of a chief executive and other key positions. The Cabinet committee on treasury however is left with the responsibility of making recommendations to Cabinet for a final decision on the future of the RCC. These decisions will, only be made after permanent boards of the two road agencies are appointed.
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
22 JUNE, 2019
WHO'S WHO AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. RODNEY SEIBEB
Q: How did the PREN project originate, what are its objectives, current progress and the achievements thus far? A: "The PREN project was established as a result of the recommendation of HSF’s previous Climate project called Environmental Awareness and Climate Change Project which Focused broadly on environmental awareness, it run for three years, from 2015 to 2017. HSF decided to implement a follow-up project that is specifically focused on the aspect of Renewable Energy (RE) which the current one does, and that is how the PREN Project originated. It has been running since 2017 and it will end on 31 December 2019. The two main partners facilitating this project are the Desert Research Foundation - DRFN and HSF. The implementing partners are EduVentures, Namibia Energy Institute, Centre for Enterprise development and Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust. The objectives of PREN is to promote and raise awareness on the use of RE and energy efficiency, specifically in the rural areas of the country. To date, we have installed four solar systems in rural schools of the Ohangwena and Kunene Regions. Two additional systems will be installed in the Zambezi Region later this year."
This
month, the RDJ’s WHO'S WHO segment Features a young, free-spirited, hardworking Namibian, who despite having pursued a slightly different qualification, still vowed to be one more environment-protector and rural development promoter after joining Hanns Seidel Foundation - HSF back in 2015, we caught up with Mr. Rodney Seibeb from HSF at the House of Democracy, who currently coordinates the well known Promoting Renewable Energies in Namibia (PREN) Project. Mr. Seibeb is originally from Otjwarongo, where he completed his primary and secondary education, after which he moved to Windhoek in order to further his studies in the field of in Business Administration and Logistics at the Namibia University of Science and Technology - NUST (Polytechnic of Namibia, at the time).
Q: Which where the first schools to benefit from the PREN project and what criteria was used to select the benefiting schools? A: "The first two schools to benefit were supposed to be Lazarus Haufiku and Ewanifo Combined School. They were identified through a baseline study conducted by RDJ Consulting Services CC. But just before electrification, we were informed that these two schools where already in the plans of Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and NamPower to be catered for, so we approached and engaged with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) and local stakeholders who recommended Omuni and Ondjabayonghalu Combined Schools."
The criteria used to identify schools for electrification: 1. The school should be combined 2. Number of learners enrolled at the school 3. Distance from the electricity grid
Follow the entire interview as he opens his heart to talk with us. www.rdjconsulting.co.za
JUNE, 2019 23 Q: Apart from schools, who else is a beneficiary of the PREN project? A: "Other beneficiaries are SMEs whom we offer training. Through PREN Project, we have also developed special programs for the youth in the Country to raise awareness and practicality of RE. Last year for instance, we've managed to take a group of 30 young people to the Namib Desert at the Environmental Education Trust Center, which is a facility in the middle of the Namib Desert that offers training in solar cooking". Q: Give us an update on the newly launched Data Portal on Rural Electrification and its connection to PREN. A: "The Data Portal on Rural Electrification was launched to avoid unwanted duplication and the miscommunication between stakeholders in Rural Electrification. This is crucial as it avoid the scenario we've encountered when we had chosen the first schools to be electrified by PREN Project as mentioned earlier. The Portal is a platform where stakeholders can share any relevant information on existing Electrification Projects in the Country. The Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the United State was our partner and provided four students who worked on the Data Portal. The portal has been formally handed over to MME, who will administer it, however it still needs some minor fixtures to be fully functional".
"We want to lead by example with the use of RE whereby we provide electricity to rural Schools and SME's." Rodney Seibeb
Q: Based on your experience with the PREN Project, what challenges are there that would hinder such projects from being implemented on a larger scale in Namibia? A: "Firstly, the lack of sufficient information to make informed decisions. Most information found is usually outdated and it makes planning a challenge. Secondly, the issue of funding. There are many projects but not enough funding. Lastly, more involvement of stakeholders as some are eager than others on the decision making of such initiatives". Q: HSF also offers internships and training to interested candidates. What kind of training and internship are they, and what is the eligibility criteria for application? A: "We do not discriminate. Students from all study fields are welcome to apply as long as there’s an opening and the student is eager enough. Internships run for three months with possibilities of extending, depending on funding availability". Q: And Finally Mr. Seibeb what, advice would you share with the youth of Namibia regarding this interview? A: "Somebody said that we only have one planet, but the rate at which we are using our resources is as if there is no tomorrow. Therefore, I would say it is important for young people to be involved in initiatives that take care of the environment and now is the time for young people to take up such initiatives and contribute towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals." www.rdjconsulting.co.za
COMING SOON!
To request a FREE COPY of the book, send your email address to: office@rdjconsulting.co.za
JUNE, 2019 25
TENDERS Green schemes to award solar tender soon
T
The solar system installation tender to the irrigation projects at Etunda, sikondo, Hardap, shadikongoro and Uhvungu will soon be awarded.
This was revealed by AgribusDev Managing Director, who is responsible for the awarding process. The need to install solar systems at the irrigation projects was motivated by the constant power cuts the projects had been experiencing from the area’s electricity distributor. Nonetheless, despite plans to install solar systems, there will still be a need for their electricity distributor to supply electricity to the projects during the nights.
careers
Stay tuned on this space for your monthly Career updates.
www.rdjconsulting.co.za
Company:Kavango East Regional Council Tender Name/Description: Construction of medium voltage, low voltage streetlighting reticulation at Ndiyona settlement Kavango East Town: Rundu Closing Date: 22 July 2019
Company: NamPower Tender Name/Description:Supply, delivery, and installation of tow (2) 22kV ring Main Unit at Ruacana Power Station. Town: Windhoek Closing Date: 19 July 2019
Company: Nampower Tender Name/Description:provision of an online (web based) prepaid electricity vending system Town: Windhoek Closing Date: 26 July 2019
UpNext 2019 Microsoft Excel Training RDJ Consulting will be holding a Microsoft Excel Training session on the 26 July 2019 at NIPAM Conference Centre Public discussion RDJ Consulting will hold a Public Discussion Titled: 'The Future of Water in Namibia', at NIPAM Conference Centre on the 19 September 2019 from 6pm - 8pm
Plastic Bag Usage Reduction Campaign RDJ Consulting will hold an Environmental Campaign on Saturday, 28th of September, 2019 at Wernhill Shopping Mall
JUNE, 2019 27
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Fares Shipaxu (Lead researcher & statistician) RDJ Consulting Services CC
Kina Indongo (Marketing & Communication Intern) RDJ Consulting Services CC
Selma Taapopi (Marketing & Communication Intern) RDJ Consulting Services CC
Peter N. Haufiku (Statistics Intern) RDJ Consulting Services CC
To Advertise Contact marketingcomm@rdjconsulting.co.za +264 61 400 171
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