Electricity

Walvis Bay Wind Power Project

In November 2005 a utility-scale wind turbine was connected to the electricity distribution grid of the Erongo RED to exploit the wind resources at the coastal town of Walvis Bay, Namibia. This project constituted the first renewable energy initiative based on wind generation by a Local Authority in Namibia and Southern Africa. Apart from supplementing the power supply to Walvis Bay and, in particular, consumers at Mile 7, the project provided a learning environment to develop local expertise in the assessment, design, implementation and operation of grid-connected wind energy converters.

A refurbished 220kW, three-blade, stall-controlled Wind World W-2500 turbine (1989 manufacture), with a rotor diameter of 25m and a hub height of 31m was installed. The key outcomes of this project are a wide range of capacity building achievements, an operational wind turbine on the Namibian electricity grid, a clear business directive for future wind parks and valuable lessons learnt.

The scope of work included a wind resource assessment, drafting of a business plan, EIA, quality of supply assessment, technical design, generation license application and contract supervision.