Namibia and Angola have signed agreements to develop a N$941 million cross-border power interconnector, scheduled for completion in 2029, aimed at improving electricity supply and regional integration across Southern Africa.
The agreements, signed in Luanda, include a Joint Development Agreement between NamPower and Angola’s Rede Nacional de Transporte de Electricidade (RNT-EP), as well as a bilateral Power Purchase Agreement.
The Angola-Namibia Power Interconnection Project (ANNA) will involve the construction of a 166-kilometre, 400 kV transmission line linking the Kunene substation in Namibia to the Cahama substation in Angola, with 30 kilometres of the line located in Namibia.
The project will also include feeder bays, transformation infrastructure and a Static Var Compensator at Kunene.
NamPower Managing Director Kahenge Haulofu said a further 270-kilometre transmission line between the Omatando and Otjikoto substations will be built to support the interconnector and establish a transmission corridor between the two countries.
The infrastructure will enable Angola to connect to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) grid as an operating member.
“As energy demand across the SADC region continues to rise, coupled with persistent supply constraints, the project offers a practical and forward-looking solution. The ANNA project creates an opportunity to optimise and share our respective energy resources more effectively, supporting the evolving needs of the Southern African Power Pool,” Haulofu said.
The project was approved by the Namibian government earlier this year as a strategic infrastructure investment under the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, following the signing of an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding between Namibia and Angola.
Cabinet has also endorsed funding mobilisation through the National Energy Fund to support Namibia’s share of the capital costs, as part of efforts to improve energy access and affordability.
