SEA DESALINATION
Plans to build desalination plants along the Namibian Central Coast dates back to as early as 1996. Feasibility studies carried out revealed that desalinated water is a viable option to supply the customers of the Central Coast whose demand for potable water has increased to more than the sustainable yield of the ground water resources. However, although NamWater long wanted to build its own desalination plant at the coast, the Water Utility has not yet managed to build a plant of its own citing challenges such as costs and plans are still underway to make this dream a reality.
Currently, Namibia has a desalination plant at the Coast which is wholly−owned by Arano Resources Namibia and operated by Aveng Water Treatment Namibia. This plant currently supplies NamWater with 12 million cubic meters of water a year. This volume of water is sold on to the Mines and Industry in general located outside the town lands. It has the short−term capacity of 20 million cubic meters per Annum, and can be increased over a medium to long−term capacity of up to 45 million cubic meters a year.
The Erongo region’s water demands for the communities and the mines currently stand at about 20 million cubic meters per annum. Consultants have been appointed to commence with a KfW sponsored feasibility study to consider the future supply of water to the Central Coast and the Central Areas of Namibia and even as far as Botswana.