Staff Reporter
THE Electricity Control Board (ECB) has said that overall, Namibia’s electricity network is in a satisfactory condition.
The ECB stated that the high-voltage “backbone” that carries power over long distances and is run by NamPower is well maintained and reliable.
However, the ECB said that work still needs to be done on networks that deliver electricity closer to homes and businesses.
This is according to findings in the National Electricity Infrastructure Status Report for 2024/2025. Each year, the ECB inspects electricity networks around the country to check that they are safe, well maintained and able to deliver a reliable supply to consumers.
This year’s report shares what those inspections found across all 14 regions of Namibia.
The inspections looked at the main players that generate, transmit and supply electricity, including NamPower, the Regional Electricity Distributors (REDs), municipalities, town and village councils, regional councils, farmer schemes and mines. Each network was rated as either satisfactory (in good working order) or poor (in need of urgent attention).
The report detailed that, based on the audit findings, most of the distribution network is classified as poor, with non-compliances primarily relating to inadequate implementation of operating procedures as per the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and substandard maintenance practices.
In terms of distribution network performance, regions with electricity businesses and operations managed by the REDs performed better compared to regions without REDs. With the exception of Khomas, regions without REDs performed poorly, with //Kharas being the worst performer, followed by Hardap and then Omaheke. Farmer schemes performed poorly, with most of them not having the capacity to operate the electricity business. Mine networks are well looked after, except for the Namdeb mine network, which is old, dilapidated and not maintained.
Nelson Ashipala, spokesperson for the ECB, said among the REDs, CENORED, which serves the Otjozondjupa area, stood out as a strong performer, keeping its network in good order. NORED, in the north, still has a number of non-compliance issues to address, although it has a maintenance system in place that helps keep those risks manageable.
He added that where electricity is managed by local and regional councils rather than a RED, the networks generally fared worse. //Kharas Region had the most concerns, followed by Hardap and Omaheke regions.
“There were bright spots, however: Khomas (served by the City of Windhoek) and Otjozondjupa both kept their networks in good condition,” Ashipala said.
Thirteen farmer schemes, electricity networks that farming communities run themselves, were inspected, and most were found to be struggling: eight of the 13 (more than 60%) were rated poor.
Ashipala said that this is largely because running an electricity network is not these farmers’ main job, and many face challenges with skills, funding and upkeep.
“Rather than singling out individual farms, the ECB is working to support the sector as a whole to lift its standards. Among the seven mines inspected, most were well maintained. Namdeb was the main exception, accounting for more than half of all the problems found in the mining sector because of ageing equipment and too little maintenance,” Ashipala said.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Electricity Control Board (ECB)
