Namibia to Advance Energy Infrastructure, New Substations - teleSUR English
Namibia to Advance Energy Infrastructure, New Substations | News | teleSUR English
Namibia's Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, said that the event signifies more than the inauguration of substations and transmission lines; it symbolizes "inaugurating a brighter future for Namibia and, by extension, for Southern Angola."
Last Friday, Namibia inaugurated two new substations and a 190 km interconnector overhead transmission line in an event held in northern Namibia.
RELATED:
Namibia: SA Nations to Combat Transboundary Animal Diseases
According to official reports, the Kunene Substation, located just 30 km south of the Angola-Namibia border at the Ruacana Power Station, and the Omatando Substation in Ongwediva are now seamlessly connected by the overhead transmission line.
These facilities were constructed by the Chinese firm Sinohydro in partnership with a local partner.
Namibia's Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, said that the event signifies more than the inauguration of substations and transmission lines; it symbolizes "inaugurating a brighter future for Namibia and, by extension, for Southern Angola."
Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo officially inaugurated the Kunene-Omatando stations in the Omusati Region.— NBC Digital News (@NBCDigitalNews)
The project is NamPower's newest 400 kV Kunene Omatando substation, along with a 190 km interconnector overhead transmission line.
The Kunene substation is a 400 kV… pic.twitter.com/KH0xBwN9mT October 6, 2023
According to Alweendo, these substations and transmission lines serve as vital highways that will bring electricity to every part of the country and facilitate regional integration.
"As we expand our network, we open doors to greater trade opportunities, collaboration, and growth with Angola. These infrastructures certainly allow for future trade to be strengthened between our two countries," Alweendo said, adding that the Kunene Substation will serve as the connection point between Namibia and Angola.
Furthermore, at the event, Zhang Xiaojun, an official from Sinohydro's Corporate and Adoptive Building Land Construction, said that the projects represent a crucial milestone in advancing the region's energy infrastructure. He also noted that the project provided employment for 300 locals and supported Namibian subcontractors and suppliers.
Kahenge Haulofu, the managing director of Namibia's power utility, NamPower, said that the project, valued at 1 billion Namibian dollars (about 51.3 million U.S. dollars) and initiated in June 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, is historic as it marks the utility's largest collaboration with a Chinese firm aimed at strengthening northern Namibia's energy infrastructure. Haulofu commended the contractors and partners for delivering and ensuring a secure supply of electricity.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”