Energy – News Stand

26 Jun

Oil, dollar fluctuations affect Namibia

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Observer Money

Chamwe Kaira Namibia takes a direct hit whenever oil prices rise or the US dollar strengthens on global markets. The country imports all its refined fuel, has no domestic refining capacity, and holds only modest foreign currency reserves. According to a report by Simonis Storm Securities, these external shocks drive up imported inflation and widen trade imbalances. The firm estimates that a sustained 10% rise in Brent crude prices increases Namibia’s headline inflation by between 0.8 and 1.2 percentage points. The impact depends on how fast the higher costs filter through and how stable the currency remains. “The Namibia dollar…

02 Jun

Oil and Gas event doubles in size to support SMEs

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Observer Money

Allexer Namundjebo The Namibia Oil and Gas Conference (NOGC) will double in size this year and add a new exhibition hall to give more access to entrepreneurs and small businesses. On Monday, the Economic Association of Namibia (EAN), the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB), and the Hanns Seidel Foundation launched the third edition of the conference in Windhoek. The conference will take place from 12 to 15 August in Windhoek. It is endorsed by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and supported by the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) and SNC Incorporated. This year’s theme is “From…

22 May

Consumers are preferring fuel-efficient cars

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA Namibian car buyers are shifting their focus from luxury and performance to affordability, fuel efficiency, and practicality. Simonis Storm Securities says this trend is creating space for new brands, especially Chinese manufacturers, to enter the market as some established European brands lose ground. “This evolution presents new opportunities for local dealerships, financiers, and service providers to adapt their offerings in line with shifting consumer expectations, focusing more on cost-conscious packages, servicing support, and competitive financing models tailored to the growing mid-tier vehicle segment,” Simonis Storm Securities said. Vehicle sales data for April 2025 show a strong preference for…

14 May

Farmers embrace solar-powered agriculture

info_e12wt4csEnergy, National News

Staff Writer Local farmers recently participated in a workshop focused on Agri-PV technology, a project supported by the GIZ INSPIRED Agri-PV initiative at the University of Namibia’s Ogongo Campus. The goal was to explore how Agri-PV systems can help achieve sustainable vegetable and fruit production while also providing climate-adapted energy solutions in Namibia. The workshop attracted 95 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR), UNAM, regional councils, and local farmers. It aimed to show how farmers can use their land for both crop production and solar energy generation. Agri-PV systems provide multiple benefits,…

21 Apr

Venus Oil Project enters environment study phase

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Observer Money

Ester Mbathera The Venus Oil Project, located offshore in Block 2913B, has entered its environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) phase as TotalEnergies EP Namibia B.V. and its joint venture partners NAMCOR and QatarEnergy move ahead with plans to start oil production. The Venus Field lies approximately 290 kilometres southwest of Lüderitz, in waters around 3 000 metres deep. The proposed development involves drilling up to 40 subsea wells, installing supporting infrastructure, and deploying a floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) to process and store the extracted oil. The FPSO will offload oil to tankers for export, while supply…

16 Apr

Andrada announces Uis exploration drilling results

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Observer Money

CHAMWE KAIRA Andrada Mining Limited has announced initial drill results from 13 proximal pegmatites located within the Uis Tin Mine licence area (ML134) in Namibia’s Erongo Region. The company said the results reaffirm the scale and quality of mineralisation across the site and support its goal of expanding the production of tin, lithium, and tantalum—minerals critical to the global energy transition. These pegmatites are within a 3km radius from the existing processing plant at the Uis Tin Mine and constitute part of a swarm comprising approximately 180 mineralised pegmatites identified to date within the license area. The ongoing programme covering…

14 Apr

Opposition demands answers about N$100 million Angolan petroleum deal

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Main

Allexer Namundjembo Opposition political parties are demanding full public disclosure and accountability over the unexplained disappearance of N$100 million linked to a controversial oil and gas project, known as "the Transaction", in Angola Block 15/06. The project involves the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) and other partners. More than a year after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation, no official report has been made public. The Landless People’s Movement (LPM), through its spokesperson, Lifalaza Simataa, describes the situation as a pattern of state-owned entities mishandling public funds without consequences. “Large sums of money suspiciously not being recovered, going…

27 Mar

Media and civil society to drive green economy oversight

info_e12wt4csEnergy, National News

Herrta-Maria Amutenya Media and civil society will play a key role in monitoring Namibia’s transition to a green economy under a new initiative called the Eco Dialogue Collective. The project, funded by the European Union and German Development Cooperation, will run from 2025 to 2027. It aims to improve transparency and accountability in managing natural resources such as green hydrogen, oil, and gas. Peter Limbourg, Director General of Deutsche Welle (DW), said the project goes beyond sharing facts. “Namibia has an abundance of natural resources and precious ecosystems that need protection. But it also faces the effects of climate change…

10 Mar

Green Hydrogen Programme open to criticism

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Featured, National News

Allexer Namundjembo The Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme (NGHP) welcomes constructive criticism regarding the industry. NGHP spokesperson, Jona Musheko said this on Monday following an incident involving veteran journalist Jemima Beukes, who is being disciplined by her employer, Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) for excessively negative reporting on last year’s Global African Hydrogen Summit. Musheko said the organisation has not issued any directives on how journalists should report on green hydrogen initiatives. “We have not issued any formal complaints regarding the journalist in question or any other reporters. Furthermore, we have no concerns regarding perceived negative reporting on the sector,” said Musheko.…

25 Feb

More oil discovered in Namibia’s Orange Basin

info_e12wt4csEnergy, Observer Money

Niël Terblanché Custos Energy (Pty) Ltd. has reported a successful second exploration and appraisal campaign in the Orange Basin, specifically in blocks 2813A and 2814B on Tuesday These blocks, governed by Petroleum Exploration License 83 (PEL 83), are operated by a subsidiary of Galp Energia, SGPS, S.A., with Custos and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) each holding a 10% working interest. The chief executive officer of Custos Energy, Knowledge Katti, announced that the PEL 83 Joint Venture partners have successfully drilled, cored, and logged the Mopane-3X well, which commenced on 2 January 2025. Located 18 kilometers from the…