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DAM-L Largest desalination plant in Southern Africa/LS (fwd)



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Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 11:30:24 -0800
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From: lori@irn.org (Lori Pottinger)
Subject: Largest desalination plant in Southern Africa/LS
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Green Light For Desalination Plant

The Namibian
September 12, 2000

Tabby Moyo
Windhoek

Namibia will soon become the first sub-Saharan country to desalinate sea
water for large-scale domestic purposes following yesterday's granting of a
N$190-million tender to United States firm, Ionics, for the construction of the
plant at Swakopmund.

The investment in the desalination plant, to be done jointly with NamWater,
will be the single largest capital investment in water supply infrastructure
undertaken in independent Namibia.

The project, upon completion, will secure an additional supply of four million
cubic metres of water a year to the coastal area of Walvis Bay,
Swakopmund, Arandis and Henties Bay.

Three internationally acclaimed companies - Weir/Envig (a United
Kingdom/South Africa company), BV/Cadagua (USA/Spanish) and Ionics
(USA) - were shortlisted and recently demonstrated their proposals on a pilot
scale at Swakopmund.

At the opening of financial bids for the desalination project in London
yesterday, which was witnessed by Agriculture, Water and Rural
Development Minister Helmut Angula and NamWater officials, Ionics' price for
the project emerged as the lowest.

NamWater spokesperson Lazarus Jacobs told The Namibian from London
that Ionics' price for the entire project was N$190 million, below the N$200
million price NamWater had anticipated.

Jacobs said Ionics and NamWater would form a joint venture to be called
'AquaNam' which will operate the desalination plant.

Sea water desalinated by AquaNam will be fed into NamWater's current
water supply system for the coast, thereby supplying coastal consumers with
blended water.

Jacobs said desalinated sea water would be sold at a bulk price of N$4 per
cubic metre which was equivalent to the price of fresh water in Windhoek.

Coastal residents had feared a steep water tariff increase as a result of the
introduction of desalinated water.

Speaking in London yesterday, Minister Angula said apart from meeting
consumer needs, desalinated water would also be available to sustain the
future development of Walvis Bay as one of the best export harbours in the
Southern African Development Community (SADC).

"Furthermore the availability of water will give new impetus to future mining
development, tourism and in particular the Export Processing Zone (EPZ)
created at Walvis Bay," Angula said.

Angula said the desalination project would bring with it a transfer of
expertise
and technology to Namibians, as well as job creation.

In addition, the Minister said, the desalination project would relieve pressure
on the extremely scarce and vulnerable ground water sources in the coastal
aquifers.

NamWater estimates that at current consumption levels the coastal areas
could face a severe water shortage next year if additional sources were not
found.

Average consumption of water at the coast was found to be much higher
than inland areas.

Currently, water consumption for the coastal region is approximately 11
million cubic metres a year - all of which is supplied from boreholes.

NamWater had said the desalinated sea water would be supplied only on a
"full cost recovery basis from day one".

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
      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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