Page 11 - AfrElecl Week 30

AfrElec NEWS IN BRIEF AfrElec

No power tariff rise for

Namibia

Namibia’s Electricity Control Board said there
was no need for an increase in electricity
tariffs in Windhoek this year.
This is because current charges are
sufficient to cover the City of Windhoek’s
planned operational budget.
The regulator rejected a proposal by the
municipality to increase electricity rates with
2% for the current financial year.
The board’s chief executive officer, Foibe
Namene, confirmed this last week.
This means Windhoek residents and
businesses will not spend extra for the units
they usually consume for the year.
The municipality proposed to the
Electricity Control Board (ECB) to
charge consumers more, mainly to fund
the procurement of operational vehicles,
including cherry-picker trucks, and other
equipment.
The ECB reviews tariffs for bulk customers
on a yearly basis and makes adjustments
based on a number of factors.
Namene said various factors, including the
GRID TARIFFS impact of the proposed tariff increase on the
electricity supply industry and consumers,
Gibraltar considers link to Kenya Power in talks on were considered before the board decided to
reject the municipality’s proposal.
Morocco 20% bill rise the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the
The depressed domestic economy and
Gibraltar is considering building an undersea Kenya Power has opened talks with the energy economy and the electricity supply industry
power link with Morocco, which in recent regulator to increase electricity prices by up to were among the factors contributing to the
years has been exporting electricity to the a fifth after the State softened its earlier stand ECB’s decision.
Iberian peninsula, according to Al Geciras al against higher tariffs. “It is the responsibility of the regulator to
Minoto. The listed utility firm said it was engaging ensure a sustainable electricity industry at
Authorities in Gibraltar are looking to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory affordable tariffs,” Namene said.
Morocco as a reliable energy supplier that is Authority (EPRA) — the electricity sector City of Windhoek chief executive officer,
forging ahead steadily with a clean energy regulator — on the application it made last Robert Kahimise confirmed yesterday that the
plan aiming to secure 52% of its electricity year seeking a revision of tariffs. ECB has declined their proposal and instead
needs from renewable sources by 2030. The Energy ministry is understood to the council were ordered to implement 0%
Morocco has been exporting electricity to have made a U-turn and is now in agreement increase.
Spain since 2018 as the two countries agreed that Kenya Power needs more cash to cover “The ECB has not supported our tariff
to beef up the interconnection with a third the cost of buying wholesale electricity from application and awarded the council a 0%
link. generators such as KenGen and maintenance tariff increase,” he said.
The third interconnection would have a of the national grid. Kahimise explained that despite the
technical capacity of 700 MW and is expected “We are in consultations with EPRA and regulator’s decision, the city council’s
to be commissioned before 2026. will provide further information as soon as it electrification of informal areas will not be
Morocco’s electricity exports rose after is available,” Kenya Power managing director impacted as they are funded by government
the Spanish government adopted an energy Bernard Ngugi told the Business Daily in an through grants.
transition plan aiming to end electricity e-mail response. There are currently 43 registered
generation from coal with the closure of If implemented, the higher tariffs will hurt distributors in the country, and 10 have
a number of thermal power plants that household budgets and raise the already high submitted applications for tariff adjustments,
produced energy using carbon. cost of doing business in Kenya. which have been finalised.
Morocco and Portugal agreed in 2015 on ErongoRed has applied for a tariff
plans for a 1,000MW link. Feasibility studies reduction, which will be lower than the 1,6%
were launched in 2016. rate set by the ECB.
The northern electricity distributor
(Nored), Oshakati Premier Electric and

Week 30 30•July•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P11