Winds of change in power sector

THE installation of a turbine that converts wind to electricity is Namibia’s first step towards harnessing wind as a renewable source of power.

The converter was installed in the desert near Walvis Bay on Tuesday and is currently being connected to the electricity-distribution grid of the local power supplier, ErongoRED. By next week, it will be adding to the power supply of consumers in Walvis Bay and at Mile 7.At 31 metres high and with a rotor of 25 metres in diameter, it is the biggest wind turbine in Namibia.At full load, it will generate about 220 kW, which can roughly be calculated as one per cent of Walvis Bay’s total electricity demand.Its main purpose, however, is not to supply a major part of the local power demand, but rather to serve as a learning tool for wind energy and related issues, said Axel Scolle, a partner in Emcon Consulting Group that manages the project.”It is a pilot project that provides a basis for assessing the feasibility of a large-scale wind farm,” he said.”We are faced globally with a shortage of fossil fuels and we must look at renewable energy sources,” said Scolle.The turbine had been in operation in Denmark for about 10 years and was sent to Walvis Bay two months ago.It was transported and assembled on site by Wesbank Transport.After a wind-resource assessment and an environmental impact study were carried out, it was decided to position the turbine at the location 11 kilometres east of Walvis Bay.It is also close enough to local electricity supplier ErongoRED’s power grid that no costly extensions are needed.The maintenance of the turbine will be shared between ErongoRED and Windhoek-based Engineering Centre during the first year, after which ErongoRED will have sole responsibility.The project started out in 2003 as an idea of the Walvis Bay Municipality’s Department of Energy (now part of ErongoRED) and was developed with funding from Danida, a Danish government development organisation.By next week, it will be adding to the power supply of consumers in Walvis Bay and at Mile 7.At 31 metres high and with a rotor of 25 metres in diameter, it is the biggest wind turbine in Namibia.At full load, it will generate about 220 kW, which can roughly be calculated as one per cent of Walvis Bay’s total electricity demand.Its main purpose, however, is not to supply a major part of the local power demand, but rather to serve as a learning tool for wind energy and related issues, said Axel Scolle, a partner in Emcon Consulting Group that manages the project.”It is a pilot project that provides a basis for assessing the feasibility of a large-scale wind farm,” he said.”We are faced globally with a shortage of fossil fuels and we must look at renewable energy sources,” said Scolle.The turbine had been in operation in Denmark for about 10 years and was sent to Walvis Bay two months ago.It was transported and assembled on site by Wesbank Transport.After a wind-resource assessment and an environmental impact study were carried out, it was decided to position the turbine at the location 11 kilometres east of Walvis Bay.It is also close enough to local electricity supplier ErongoRED’s power grid that no costly extensions are needed.The maintenance of the turbine will be shared between ErongoRED and Windhoek-based Engineering Centre during the first year, after which ErongoRED will have sole responsibility.The project started out in 2003 as an idea of the Walvis Bay Municipality’s Department of Energy (now part of ErongoRED) and was developed with funding from Danida, a Danish government development organisation.