The larger portion of the newly constructed 294 km Van Eck-Kuiseb-Walmund 220kV power transmission line was energized on Thursday this week. This line, constructed with guyed lattice steel structures, extends from the Van Eck Power Station outside Windhoek into the Khomas Hochland following the Us-pass road into the Namib Naukluft Park up to the new Kuiseb transmission station near Walvis Bay.

According to NamPower, the project cost of N$130 million for the transmission line, and another N$126 million for the Kuiseb transmission station and marks a major contribution by the NamPower Group to the Namibian economy. The line will provide for the growing demand of electricity due to increasing economic activity at the coastal towns of Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and its Export Processing Zone (EPZ). The turnkey tenders – one for the construction of the transmission line, was awarded to ABB, while Siemens received the tender for the Kuiseb transmission station.

While the power line was technically completed on time, the station is not yet complete, because of challenging construction terrain and extremely harsh weather conditions during the past few weeks. Special precautions to counteract the severe coastal climate include the anti-corrosive coating of line equipment for the last 40 km of the power line. The major precaution taken, however, is the Kuiseb transmission station itself, which is housed indoors. This was made possible through the utilization of compact Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS), which is accommodated in gas-tight enclosures that uses SF6 gas as an insulating medium instead of air. Nampower announced on Wednesday that power from the 220kV line will not yet reach the Kuiseb transmission station, as its commissioning starts the middle of July. Tests on the transmission station itself, 4 existing 66kV power lines and 2 new 220kV power lines will take five to ten days.

The public is cautioned that the line should be treated as live at all times and no one should attempt to ascend any structure or enter any yard associated with this line.

Apart from oyster farming just north of Swakopmund a new aquaculture project that of abalone or perlemoen farming has been given the blessing by the Swakopmund town council meeting last week. Messrs CF and FE Beyers leased five hectares of land from the Swakopmund municipality north of Mile Four for a period of ten years to cultivate abalone, a much sought after delicacy, which is heavily exploited along the South African coast, where it has its natural habitat. The company will have to pay rent of N$ 666 for the first year of the lease period, which will increase to N$ 3000 per month in the fourth year, the town council decided. Abalones fetch high prices in markets in the Far East.