The Namibian government plans to provide rural areas and people living in remote corners of the country better access to electricity and with other means than the conventional power line grid. Experts discussed the possibilities on Thursday at the Habitat Centre in Katutura.

"A new way forward is the Off-Grid Master Plan, a project of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Namibian Renewable Energy Programme (NAMREP),m said Joseph Iita, permanent secretary in the ministry. "The mission of NAMREP is to increase affordable access to sustainable energy services; accelerate market development for renewable energy technologies like solar and wind power and remove institutional, information, human capacity, financial, technical awareness and other barriers to renewable energy in Namibia". In order to achieve its objectives, the NAMREP Project Management Unit initiated and co-ordinated a number of important projects, one of which is the Off-Grid Master Plan.

The objective of the Off-Grid Master Plan is to provide a plan by which households, businesses and institutions that are located in off-grid areas and informal settlements may have access to appropriate energy technologies and fuels. The be can be solar and wind power as well as thermal fuel or even bio gas.

The consulting firm, Consulting Services Africa (CSA), together with sub-consultants, was appointed by MME and NAMREP to implement the project. The consultant team submitted the draft version to NAMREP, the MME, Regional Councils and Regional Electricity Distributors early this month. The workshop debated on the Plan on Thursday.

The experts also noted that the master Plan should blend in with the rural electrification programme of NamPower in coordination with the MME. The efforts are also to blend in with Vision 2030, the national development strategy for the next 24 years. President Hifikepunye Pohamba opened the Vision 2030 implementation strategy workshop this week.