Staff Reporter

CABINET has authorised the Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, to signal an Implementation Agreement between Namibia and Angola to expedite the event of the Baynes Hydro Power Plant.

This was introduced by the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, on the briefing on the newest Cabinet Decisions.

The venture goals to supply clear power, contribute to sustainable industrial and financial growth in each international locations, scale back present energy deficits, improve entry to electrical energy in numerous areas, and improve the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Energy Market capability.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) defined that the Baynes Hydropower Project will contain setting up a dam on the Cunene River, situated 48 km downstream of the Epupa Falls. The Baynes mid-merit/peaking energy station is predicted to have a capability of 600 MW, to be shared equally between Namibia and Angola.

“The Baynes Dam will be 200 metres high and will permanently flood an area of approximately 19 km², with an estimated maximum of 57 km² at peak level. The dam will be constructed to achieve a reservoir water level at a maximum of 580m, ensuring the foot of the Epupa Falls, which is at an elevation of 580 metres, is not flooded, even when the reservoir is at full supply capacity. The area inundated by the reservoir will hold 2,650 million m³ of water, which is about half of the river’s annual runoff of 5,000 million m³. The structure of the dam consists of a rock-fill embankment with a concrete face. In total, the rock fill will be 12 million cubic metres. The water face of the wall is lined with a concrete face that is about 80 centimetres thick at the bottom and around 30 centimetres at the top, providing the water-tightness to the dam wall,” SADC defined.

SADC revealed that generators, an influence plant, swap plant, and ancillary buildings will likely be put in on the identical web site.

“Power lines will be constructed from the plant to the nearest substations in Angola and Namibia (subject to a separate EIA process). The Baynes Hydropower Station will not affect the Epupa Falls as these are upstream, but it may impact the river downstream, including the river mouth,” SADC added.