Swakopmund’s electricity demand to double by 2030 – Erongo RED

Due to the growth in population caused by urban migration and increase in industrial and mining activities, the electricity demand for Swakopmund will double by 2030, this was said by Erongo Red’s Acting Executive Manager of Networking Engineering Mr Rudolf Ouseb during the NCCI and Erongo Red’s breakfast meeting on Wednesday this week.

According to Ouseb Swakopmund is currently using a capacity of 26 mega volt amps (MVA) and will by 2030 be doubled or up-graded capacity to 60 MVA. Ouseb said the reason why they saw the need of upgrading electricity in Swakopmund is because Swakopmund Water Front requested for 2.5 MVA by 2016 which is in progress, Swakopmund Strand Hotel also requested for an additional 1MVA by 2015, Swakopmund Bahnhof Shopping Centre applied for 4 MVA by 2017/18 and the Swakopmund DRC Development (residential) requested for 5M-VA by 2017, also in progress.
Ouseb continued saying that in order for Erongo Red to achieve a 60 MVA n-1 supply to Swakopmund, a second transformer is re-quired to be added to both Swakopmund Substation and Tamariskia, considering that the first transformer at Tamariskia is already upgraded. “Erongo Red is capable of meeting the current load with its current capacity especially with the new 30MVAtransformer installed at Swakopmund (FELD), however only during normal conditions. There is however rapid growth in Swakopmund” Ouseb emphasized.
Ouseb said the Swakopmund Bulk Upgrade will cost Erongo Red almost N$300 million in total. Other strategic projects which are in place at Erongo Red is the Walvis Bay Bulk Upgrade which will cost Erongo Red N$570 million and is nearly completed, Lishops Bulk Upgrade is in progress and is costing Erongo Red N$70 million and the Arandis Bulk Upgrade which is costing N$5,5 million is also in progress.