NamPower has resumed work on its N$2 billion Auas-Kokerboom II transmission line after delays caused by funding constraints.
The project forms part of the utility’s financial prioritisation strategy and is aimed at improving the reliability and capacity of Namibia’s national grid.
The Auas-Kokerboom project involves the construction of a 400 kV high-voltage transmission line, stretching approximately 460 to 465 kilometres.
It will connect the Kokerboom substation near Keetmanshoop in the ǁKaras Region to the Auas substation near Dordabis in the Khomas Region.
This second 400 kV link between the two points is designed to improve the country’s north-south electricity transfer capacity.
NamPower said the project will enhance system reliability, improve network stability, and strengthen redundancy in the national grid.
It also includes the development of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Lithops Substation. The BESS will help manage peak electricity demand, reduce reliance on imports, and enable more efficient use of renewable energy sources.
“Despite delays caused by funding constraints, the Auas-Kokerboom II project has resumed under NamPower’s financial prioritisation strategy,” Nampower Managing Director Kahenge Haulofu told Namibia Mining & Energy
NamPower is also advancing work on the Obib-Oranjemund transmission line, a 92-kilometre project costing N$1.2 billion.
The line, which began construction in January 2024, will serve as NamPower’s second 400 kV interconnector with South Africa’s Eskom.
While construction of the line is complete, it will only be energised once substation works are finished.
“The Obib-Oranjemund line is critical for improving grid stability and forming a second high-voltage connection to Eskom,” he said.
Both projects fall under NamPower’s 400 kV Expansion Programme, which includes the completed Auas–Gerus transmission line, inaugurated in April 2023. The programme is intended to meet Namibia’s growing electricity demand and ensure long-term energy security as the country’s population and economy continue to expand.
