WINDHOEK, Oct. 25– Namibian Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo on Thursday stressed the need for the southern African nation to leverage technology and innovative solutions to enhance electricity access and affordability for its citizens. Speaking at the 2024 Namibia Electricity Supply Industry Forum in the north-central city of Otjiwarongo, Alweendo said artificial intelligence (AI) can play a critical role in improving electricity access in remote areas where grid extension is costly, which is one of the unique challenges Namibia faces. “Namibia is a vast country. As our population has grown to 3 million, our population density remains relatively low. Therefore, electrification through conventional means would not enable us to achieve universal access by the year 2040,” he said. Namibia needs to make use of modern computing technology like AI, together with smart solutions, to facilitate it in the pursuit of universal access to electricity by 2040, he added. AI and smart platforms, he suggested, could help identify areas where solar mini-grids or alternative energy solutions might be more feasible than traditional grid connections, while improving how utilities manage energy flow, predict faults, and integrate renewable sources like solar. With renewable energy capacity currently exceeding 30 percent of total generation, Namibia relies heavily on imports of electricity from neighboring nations like Zambia and South Africa, which meet up to 70 percent of its demand.
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