Owing to Namibia’s susceptibility to drought, the Southern African country is looking to build its second desalination plant. This industrial unit is typically used to remove mineral components from saline water. Namibia intends to begin construction early next year. This project was first suggested 26 years ago, in 1998, and has been resurfaced owing to Namibia’s 100 year high drought.
A report by Reuters revealed that approval to build a second desalination plant in Namibia has been granted. The construction is set to begin in January 2025, according to Calle Schlettwein, the country’s minister of agriculture who made the announcement on Wednesday.
This initiative is in response to the country’s constant bouts of drought. Additionally, the project has become urgent given that Namibia is currently facing its worst drought in over a century.
According to the minister, the desalination plant would be engineered to have a capacity of about 20 million cubic meters. Also, the new plant is expected to be up and running by 2027. This project was suggested as far back as 1998.
Namibia’s economic rationale for a second desalination plant
Standing as the third-largest producer of uranium in the world, Namibia supplies 11% of the world market. The uranium industry is seeing a boom in exploration and acquisitions, which is driving up the need for water.
According to Reuter’s report, Namibia’s uranium operations have drawn interest from organizations from Australia, Canada, and Russia due to its advantageous economic conditions and abundant potential.
Namibia’s underground water reserves are being depleted by mineral exploration and mining operations as well as the country’s ambitious green hydrogen ambitions, which seek to create 10–12 million metric tons of hydrogen equivalent year by 2050.
“Our ambitious development plans, along with those of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, increased mining activities, industrial demand, agriculture, and food production, have pushed projected demand beyond what these sources can deliver,” the agricultural minister stated.
