NamPower says it is rolling out a multibillion-dollar transmission expansion programme aimed at strengthening Namibia’s electricity network and meeting growing demand in different regions.
The announcement was made on Sunday at Swakopmund during the inauguration of a new electricity substation at Sekelduin.
The Sekelduin Substation was built between July 2021 and March 2023 and was officially inaugurated this month. The project cost N$394 million.
NamPower managing director Kahenge Haulofu said the project is part of efforts to strengthen the national electricity transmission system.
“To ensure the continued excellence of the national transmission network, NamPower remains committed to strengthening and maintaining its infrastructure,” Haulofu said.
He said the substation was developed in response to rising electricity demand in the Erongo region, driven by mining activities, industrial development and population growth.
Haulofu said Sekelduin Substation will serve as a key supply point for Swakopmund and Tamarisk substations, the NamWater South bulk water scheme feeding Husab Mine, and the Erongo Red distribution network.
He said the substation is also the first digital substation in Africa, and added that it was designed and built by African engineers.
“Sekelduin Substation is proof that Africa can design and deliver world-class digital grid infrastructure,” he said.
Haulofu said NamPower is implementing a transmission master plan that includes several major projects aimed at expanding and strengthening the power grid.
These include the 400-kilovolt Auas-Kokerboom transmission line, the 400-kilovolt Obib-Oranjemund interconnector, the Khomas substation development, the Erongo substation project and the Masivi Substation, which has already been completed.
He said the projects are designed to improve reliability, stability and power transfer capacity across the national grid.
Haulofu said Namibia’s transmission network currently spans about 12 060 kilometres of high and medium-voltage lines.
