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dam-l Namibian power privatisation/LS
Namibian power privatisation looms
Terence Creamer
Engineering News Deputy Editor
Namibia's State-owned electricity utility, Nampower, has signalled a
willingness to embrace either full or partial privatisation.
In its latest annual report Nampower chairperson Harold Pupkewitz stated
that the utility's record and prospects made it an obvious choice for "at
least partial privatisation", though this would only be pursued once the
government decided to follow such a strategy.
Pupkewitz argued that private sector involvement in the industry offered
the only realistic way for Africa to raise the necessary capital,
pointing to a World Bank estimate that stated that Africa would require
some $17-billion in power infrastructure investment by 2005.
"The annual report also reveals a bullishness about prospects for the
Kudu-gas-to-power project.
Negotiations between the partners Shell, Nampower and Eskom broke down
last year when Eskom decided that Kudu did not meet its criteria,
claiming that the gas would be too expensive. However, negotiations were
put back on track following high-level intervention.
During the course of last year it was announced that estimated reserves
had been expanded to more than 20-trillion cubic feet and that such a
reserve could service energy-based industries on the West Coast of
Namibia and South Africa.
Discussions are under way at present to assess the viability of a complex
of three integrated power plants at Oranjemund and near Cape Town.
Less progress has been made, however, on plans for a hydropower facility
on the Cunene river.
Nampower has handed the Epupa project over to government, from where it
feels ultimate guidance should come.
Engineering News
January 21-27 2000
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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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