March 1999

Namibia, a country in southern Africa, will build the first ever wind power generating station in the region.

The Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy plans to create a 10 MW power station.  The new wind power plant may turn out to be just one of many new energy sources developed in Namibia.  The Ministry of Mines and Energy issued a White Paper on Energy describing its intention to build possible hydropower stations as well.

Map of Nambia.  Image Credit: CIA.

The wind station will be located near the coast in a town named Lüderitz.  The town was an early German settlement and is now a resort and fishing village.

Originally, the government had difficulty in finalizing plans to build the station because of opposition from the native Himba tribe in the area.

The Himba tribe still opposes the potential hydropower dam, which would be located on the Epupu dam.

If completed, the Epupu dam could prove far more powerful than the windmill.  It could potentially provide as much as 360 MW of electricity.  However, the Namibian government still must win the support of the Himba tribe and the Angolan government, which shares the river.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy is also considering natural gas projects, desalinization, and renewable forms of power generation.