Nearly three years after Namibia and Zambia signed an agreement to develop a cross-border oil and gas pipeline, the project has seen little progress, with minimal communication from the private companies expected to drive the initiative.
The proposed Namibia-Zambia Oil Products and Natural Gas Pipeline Project (NAZOP), intended to run from Walvis Bay to Lusaka, was announced in 2022 as a private sector-led initiative with support from both governments.
However, former Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, has revealed that no tangible progress has been made since the agreement was signed during the 10th session of the Namibia-Zambia Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation.
“The project is taking longer than expected because it is not a government-led initiative. It’s being driven by the private sector, and so far, there has been very little communication from those promoting it,” Alweendo told Namibia Mining & Energy.
He noted that one of the key requirements was for the Zambian project proponents to secure a Namibian partner, something that has yet to happen.
“As far as I know, there hasn’t been much progress. The Zambians saw a potential opportunity and were advised to identify a local business to collaborate with, but I’m not sure how far they’ve got with that,” he said.
At the time of signing, Alweendo described NAZOP as a promising project with the potential to boost industrial development within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
A joint technical committee, comprising representatives from both governments and the private sector, was proposed to oversee feasibility studies, cost assessments and timelines. However, no formal meeting date was ever announced, and in the absence of the committee’s formation, the feasibility work has not progressed.
Ministry officials had previously stated that accurate cost and timeline estimates would only be possible once the committee had begun its work.
The project’s inactivity comes as Zambia forges ahead with a separate US$5 billion oil pipeline agreement with Angola. That initiative, backed by Angola’s national oil company SANANGOL and Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation, is also being led by private investors and aims to transport refined petroleum products from Angola to Zambia.
Currently, Zambia imports crude oil from Tanzania via the TAZARA pipeline, while most of its refined fuel is sourced from Beira, Mozambique.
