In 2023, Namibia relied on net imports for almost 60% of its electricity consumption, while domestic low-carbon generation supplied about 40%. Hydropower accounted for roughly 28% of consumption and solar for 11%, making these the country’s main clean electricity sources. Domestic fossil generation contributed less than 1%. The imported electricity’s generation mix is not specified, so imports cannot be classified as entirely low-carbon or fossil-based.

Is Electricity Growing in Namibia?

Namibia’s electricity consumption per person remains well below its historical peak rather than showing sustained growth to new records. In 2023, consumption stood at about 1,570 kWh per person, around 310 kWh—or 16%—below the 2014 record. Low-carbon electricity generation was about 620 kWh per person, also roughly 310 kWh below its record, reached in 1991—a decline of about one-third. These shortfalls are concerning: expanding clean electricity supply would help Namibia support electrification, economic development and growing demand, including from digital infrastructure.

Suggestions

Namibia should build on solar’s existing contribution by expanding solar generation alongside grid infrastructure and storage. Sunny regions provide useful examples: Chile generates 24% of its electricity from solar, while the US state of Nevada reaches 35%, showing the potential for a substantially larger solar contribution. Wind could complement this expansion, drawing lessons from Morocco, where it supplies 20% of electricity, and Uruguay, where it supplies about one-third. Namibia should also consider nuclear electricity as a firm low-carbon complement: the United Arab Emirates generates 20% of its electricity from nuclear, while France obtains about two-thirds. These examples offer lessons in planning, investment and skills development for a larger, more diversified clean electricity supply.

History

Namibia’s low-carbon electricity history has been dominated by fluctuations in hydropower. During 1994–1998, annual hydro changes alternated between losses of 0.2–0.3 TWh and gains of 0.4–0.5 TWh. The early 2000s brought smaller reversals, followed by a 0.3 TWh increase in 2005. Between 2012 and 2017, several gains of 0.2 TWh were interrupted by a 0.3 TWh decline in 2013. Hydro then fell by 0.4 TWh in 2018 and another 0.2 TWh in 2019, although solar delivered a welcome 0.3 TWh increase in 2019. More recently, hydro rose by 0.6 TWh in 2020, fell by a combined 0.7 TWh over 2021–2022, and rebounded by 0.5 TWh in 2023. That recovery is encouraging, and sustained solar expansion would help translate individual strong years into lasting growth in clean electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade