Dangote Industries Namibia Ltd has launched the environmental approval process for a planned 1.6 million-barrel petroleum storage terminal in Walvis Bay, marking the first formal step towards one of the largest fuel infrastructure developments proposed in Namibia.
The company has applied for an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) to subdivide approximately 70 hectares of industrial land on Farm 58, with the proposed tank farm expected to strengthen Namibia’s fuel storage capacity and establish Walvis Bay as a regional distribution hub.
According to the Environmental Scoping Assessment, the current application is limited to the subdivision of the site required for the development.
The assessment states that construction of the petroleum storage facility cannot proceed until a separate Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been completed and approved, following the issuance of the Environmental Clearance Certificate and approval of the land subdivision.
Dangote plans to subdivide the property into six development parcels, together with land reserved for public roads and municipal purposes, creating the footprint for the future petroleum storage complex.
The proposed terminal is designed to improve Namibia’s strategic fuel reserves while supporting the distribution of refined petroleum products to neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, particularly landlocked markets.
The development forms part of Dangote’s expansion strategy following the commissioning of its 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Nigeria, which is seeking to expand exports across Africa.
According to Reuters, the Walvis Bay facility will store at least 1.6 million barrels of petrol and diesel and serve customers in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with southern Democratic Republic of Congo also under consideration.
The refinery, built at a cost of US$20 billion by Dangote Group founder Aliko Dangote, is one of the world’s largest single-train refineries and has been increasing production as it seeks to capture a larger share of Africa’s refined fuel market.
A public consultation meeting on the proposed land subdivision next week in Walvis Bay.
Last year, Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote visited Namibia, where he paid courtesy calls on President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Bank of Namibia Governor Johannes !Gawaxab, before touring the port of Walvis Bay.
