Wind Power plant set up in Lüderitz

LUDERITZ, Sept. 25 – A pilot wind power project with three turbines with a combined capacity of just over 10 kW was set up in Luderitz last week.

The wind power plant has been delivered to site and installed with the technical backing of Kestrel Eveready of South Africa, who tested the installed system and verified that all components were functioning as per technical specification.

Initially sponsored by the Government of Finland, the pilot plant is a project of the University of Namibia that started in 2012, and is operated by the university’s Science and Technology division.

Now, it provides power to the Benguela informal settlement.

The university said the demonstration plant provided the baseline information on the structure of investment as well as implementation capacities required in the process of establishing more renewable energy sources throughout the country.

“Energy continues to be on the priority list of Namibia’s national development agenda; and both as an institution of higher learning on the one hand and as academics, it is our responsibility to become the harbingers in ensuring achievements of the NDP’s objectives on the other hand,” UNAM Vice Chancellor, Professor Lazarus Hangula said.

The Mayor of Lüderitz, Hilaria Mukapuli said that a wind turbine is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of producing affordable electricity, adding that Lüderitz is very fortunate to be one of the towns in Namibia were the wind blows throughout the year.

“There are substantial challenges to be met, but all appear solvable. I therefore comment the effort of the University of Namibia in conjunction with our Lüderitz community for having engaged in a successful research which translated in the construction and completion of this project,” she said. – Ronald Geingob

FILE PHOTO: The N$180 million wind power project at Lüderitz. The first-ever wind farm in Namibia, built by Innosun Energy Holdings