Adam Hartman
22 September 2008
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has given NamPower the green light to start building a 50 Megawatt diesel power station in Walvis Bay.
An Environmental Clearance Certificate for the project was issued by the Ministry's Department for Environmental Affairs (DEA) on Tuesday last week.
Permanent Secretary Kalumbi Shangula said the work done in compiling the final scoping report was sufficient, and had taken into account the key environmental issues.
A more in-depth Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will now be done, and the project could start by the middle of next year.
The final scoping report was released in August after several consultative meetings between NamPower, environmentalists, consultants, stakeholders and the Walvis Bay community.
"It is recommended that once the project is implemented, regular environmental monitoring of the performance and possible improvements should be conducted," Shangula stated, adding that his ministry reserved the right to attach further regulatory conditions during the project's operational phase.
NamPower initially tried to apply for a waiver of an EIA because of the urgency of a short-term solution to lessen the impact of power shortages on Erongo's economy and community.
However, because of concerns about noise and air pollution, it was required to do an EIA to get specialists' opinions.
The final scoping report found that higher chimneys (60 metres) would have less of a pollution impact than lower ones (30 m).
The existing Paratus diesel-powered plant generates 24 MW of electricity.
According to NamPower, it will be used as a backup facility during peak times.
NamPower is also considering the construction of a 400-800 MW coal-fired station at Walvis Bay to solve Namibia's electricity problems.
Besides being an interim solution to meet the immediate needs of electricity at Walvis Bay, the new 50 MW plant could also serve as an important backup for the larger project.
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