Lab equipment upgrade for NUST’s Energy Institute
The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) celebrated a significant milestone in the development of Namibia’s clean energy future, when the university’s Namibia Energy Institute (NEI) received a cutting-edge Advanced Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Trainer Suite, donated by the government of Japan.This equipment, valued at over N$900 000, was made possible through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB) project. The suite is already being put to good use by NUST’s engineering students, offering them the chance to conduct practical experiments in renewable energy generation and grid integration.
Speaking at the event, Japanese ambassador to Namibia, Shinichi Asazuma, said that “innovation goes hand in hand with capacity-building,” and that all projects supported by the Japanese government aim to directly benefit beneficiaries through hands-on training, with sustainability always in mind.
At the same event, NUST’s vice-chancellor Prof. Erold Naomab spoke about how the donation plays a key role in building Namibia’s clean energy capacity. He explained that it forms part of a larger Japan-funded project, in partnership with the UNDP, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, as well as institutions like the Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre in Zambia and Ulm University in Germany.
Through this collaboration, NUST has already offered five specialised short courses, providing a strong foundation for a series of training modules for the Bachelor of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for Trainers, which is set to be approved soon. Over 37 instructors from both public and private TVET institutions, along with NUST and University of Namibia lecturers, have benefited from this training.
Prof Naomab also shared that over N$1 million has already been invested in training and laboratory infrastructure, with plans in place to develop a central green energy laboratory that will serve TVET institutions and universities nationwide.