Windhoek, July 28– Namibia’s Electricity Control Board (ECB) has announced that the Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Modestus Amutse has renewed the moratorium on granting electricity generation licences for export purposes.
The moratorium took effect on 5 September 2025 and will remain in force for 40 months, ending on 5 January 2029, or until transmission network constraints are resolved.
The ECB says the decision was made because limited transmission capacity on South Africa’s electricity network continues to restrict Namibia’s ability to export power into the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). Issuing additional export licences under these conditions could create obligations that the current infrastructure cannot support.
Despite the moratorium, two categories of projects remain exempt:
* Renewable energy plants with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) designed for night-time electricity exports, subject to confirmation of transmission capacity by South Africa’s National Transmission Company (NTCSA).
* Namibian Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that are formally participating in transmission infrastructure upgrades within the NTCSA network to help unlock additional export capacity.
Applicants seeking these exemptions must submit written confirmation from NTCSA with their licence applications.
The ECB, working with NamPower, is currently assessing available transmission capacity and will not consider new export licence applications until the assessment is complete, the transmission constraints are resolved, or the moratorium is lifted.
The regulator emphasized that the measure is temporary and targeted. It said the moratorium is not intended to discourage investment in Namibia’s electricity sector and reaffirmed its support for projects that strengthen domestic electricity supply, renewable energy, battery storage, and hybrid energy systems while promoting a competitive and sustainable electricity industry.
