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dam-l Namibian power line/LS

>From The Namibian:


      Power line on track

      STAFF REPORTER

      NAMPOWER, Namibia's power utility, has successfully completed the
first phase of the N$1 billion
      400KV interconnector of 900km that extends from Aries near Kenhardt
in South Africa to the Kokerboom
      sub-station near Keetmanshoop.

      Senior public relations officer, Nina Viall, said in a statement
yesterday that although they were out by one
      day - completing the first phase on Tuesday at 14h52, when the power
was switched on, instead of May
      31 as promised almost four years ago - they were on track to achieve
the impossible.

      Viall said the project teams had diligently and effectively worked
against time and other constraints to
      construct Africa's first power line that supported

      not only the latest in technology but also an optic fibre cable.

      The power line will allow NamPower to provide reliable and affordable
power as well as
      telecommunication facilities to Namibians.

      "The completion of the first leg into Kokerboom substation gave
NamPower sufficient capacity to meet
      power demands made by Skorpion Mine and other present and future
ventures earmarked in Namibia,"
      Viall said.

      NamPower's Managing Director Dr Leake Hangala expressed overwhelming
appreciation to the project
      team members in successfully completing the first phase of a project
of such magnitude.

      The second phase of the project, which includes the construction of
the Auas sub-station near Windhoek
      and the completion of the remaining power line from Kokerboom to
Auas, is expected to be completed by
      the end of the year.

      The official inauguration of the first phase will be on August 25 and
will be attended by President Sam
      Nujoma and Thabo Mbeki who will be sworn in as South Africa's
president later this month.

      June 3, 1999

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      Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
        and Editor, World Rivers Review
           International Rivers Network
              1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
                  Tel. (510) 848 1155   Fax (510) 848 1008
                        http://www.irn.org
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