NamPower Accelerates Transmission Investments to Support Namibia’s Future Power Needs

Namibia’s national power utility, NamPower, is advancing a series of large-scale transmission infrastructure projects valued at several billion Namibian dollars to reinforce grid reliability, accommodate new generation capacity, and underpin long-term economic development.
The projects form part of the utility’s Transmission Master Plan, a strategic roadmap designed to expand the country’s high-voltage network and ensure the electricity system remains capable of supporting growing industrial, mining and residential demand.

Addressing stakeholders during the commissioning of the $24 million Sekelduin Substation in Swakopmund, NamPower Managing Director Kahenge Haulofu said the utility is pursuing a coordinated programme of transmission investments to strengthen network resilience and improve system performance nationwide.

According to Haulofu, the master plan aligns transmission infrastructure development with both utility-scale and independent power producer (IPP) projects, ensuring that critical grid assets are in place ahead of new generation connections.
“Transmission planning is being synchronised with future generation developments to ensure sufficient network capacity, enhance power quality and maintain system reliability as new energy projects come online,” he said.

Among the most significant projects under development is the $121 million 400kV Auas–Kokerboom Transmission Line. The scheme will enhance power transfer capabilities between southern and northern Namibia while reinforcing network stability between the Auas and Kokerboom substations. The line is scheduled for completion in the latter half of 2028.

NamPower is also progressing the over $72 million 400kV Obib–Oranjemond Transmission Line, which will establish Namibia’s second transmission interconnection with South Africa’s power system operated by Eskom. The project is expected to enter service later this year, strengthening regional electricity trade and cross-border supply security.

In the Khomas Region, the utility is partnering with the City of Windhoek on the $20 million 220/66kV Khomas Substation. The facility is intended to improve supply reliability and network capacity for the capital and surrounding areas, with commissioning planned before year-end.

Further west, NamPower and Erongo RED are jointly financing the $10 million 220/66kV Erongo Substation. The project is designed to support rising electricity demand and enhance grid stability in the Erongo Region, a key hub for mining, logistics and industrial activity.

The utility has also completed construction of the 220/132kV Masivi Substation, representing an investment of more than $20 million. The new facility is expected to strengthen electricity delivery to Namibia’s north-eastern regions and improve operational flexibility across the transmission network.

Haulofu said the expanding portfolio of projects reflects NamPower’s broader strategy to modernise transmission infrastructure and position the grid to accommodate future growth in electricity consumption.
The announcements coincided with the inauguration of the Sekelduin Substation, which NamPower describes as Africa’s first fully digital substation. The facility will act as a critical transmission node supplying the Swakopmund and Tamarisk substations, the NamWater South bulk water supply scheme serving the Husab Uranium Mine, and the Erongo RED distribution network.

NamPower currently operates more than 12,000 kilometres of transmission infrastructure spanning voltage levels from 66kV to 400kV. The utility says the network has been largely designed, developed and maintained by Namibian engineering professionals and remains central to the country’s ambitions for economic expansion and energy security.