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dam-l Kudu gas on track again/LS

The following is from The Namibian. This is the project that could put the
Epupa Dam on the "back burner."


July 1, 1999 - Web posted at 09:05 a.m. GMT

      Kudu back on course

      TABBY MOYO

      PARTNERS in the N$2,2 billion Kudu gas power project have renewed
their commitment to the
      scheme, NamPower Managing Director Leake Hangala said yesterday.

      The entire Kudu Gas Project is expected to bring a final investment
of up to N$18 billion to Namibia
      and the region .

      Hangala told a consultative meeting on industrial development
opportunities in Namibia, hosted by
      Trade and Industry Minister Hidipo Hamutenya, that a new commitment
to the 750 megawatt project
      was made at a meeting held in Amsterdam, Holland, last month between
officials of NamPower,
      Shell Exploration and South Africa's power utility Eskom.

      The companies, together with National Power of the United Kingdom,
have formed a partnership to
      develop the Kudu gas field, situated offshore from Oranjemund.

      The renewed commitment also followed the recent discovery of more gas
reserves in excess of 20
      trillion cubic feet - up from the initial estimate which put
Namibia's gas reserves at a maximum of 5
      trillion cubic feet.

      Hangala said the Kudu project was sound from a technical, economic
and environmental
      perspective.

      Eskom developed cold feet following the release of the findings of a
feasibility study conducted by
      independent consultants last year. The South African power company,
which has a 13 per cent stake
      in the project, was concerned about the expense involved in getting
the project off the ground.

      However, Hangala yesterday confirmed that Eskom was fully behind the
project again.

      Only 320 megawatts of power generated by Kudu, envisaged to be
operational by the year 2005,
      would be consumed locally while the remaining 430 megawatts would be
purchased by Eskom for
      industrial use in South Africa, particularly the Western Cape area.



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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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