Ruacana Can’t Reach Capacity

WE are proud that the fourth turbine been commissioned this week and our press has been informed about the new “total generation capacity of 347 megawatts”. To generate this output each turbine needs 70 qm/sec water. That means that the four turbines would use 280 qm/sec water in total to generate the maximum of 347 megawatts!

The Kunene has in a good year an average flow of 140 qm/sec which means that the capacity of the four turbines can be utilised by about 50 percent throughout the year.
The flow of the Kunene reaches from about 300 qm/sec in the peak rainy season [for maximum two months] to about 45 qm/sec in the dry season [August / September].
At the time when the President commissioned, proudly, the fourth turbine, the Kunene did not have enough water to feed two turbines to capacity!
The situation and utilisation on the water flow could be improved through the management and the regulation of the Kunene dams in Angola.
But cooperation seems to be a difficult topic in the relation with our neighbour.
Whatever Namibia`s plans are to use the water of the Kunene [ Baines and water for our North/West region] we depend on Angola .

Uwe Rathmann
Grootfontein

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