Swapo keen on Kudu, nuclear energy

Ogone Tlhage - The Swapo Party congress resolved to push for the development of the ambitious multibillion-dollar Kudu gas-to-power project.

The 700-plus delegates to the ruling party’s congress over the weekend also flirted with the idea of adding nuclear energy to Namibia’s energy mix.

This, the party said, would help propel Namibia forward as a net exporter of energy.

“Mindful of the role that energy plays in the socio-economic development of Namibia and aware of the energy deficit in southern Africa, it is desirous to make Namibia energy self-sufficient,” Swapo said as part of a set of draft resolutions which are yet to be adopted.

“It be resolved that government develop milestones for the implementation of the Kudu gas project by 2020 and that government seriously consider laying a foundation for nuclear power generation in Namibia by relentlessly pursuing a policy of selecting, training and developing a cadre of Namibians in the nuclear field,” the proposed resolutions read.

“Government [must] be encouraged to explore and evaluate the feasibility of developing the Divundu hydropower plant at the Popa Falls in the Kavango East,” the party said.

The party also proposed that the role players in the energy sector revoke generation licences for projects that have been given the nod but are nowhere near development.

“Government give time limits to generation licence holders to set up power plants and revoke licences of those that do not comply,” the party said.

In 2011, experts from Finland’s Nuclear and Radiation Authority helped the Ministry of Mines and Energy to develop a nuclear policy document. This resulted in the publication of a nuclear fuel cycle policy in 2015.

BW Kudu Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of BW Offshore, earlier in the year announced a 'farm-out' agreement for a 56% stake of the Kudu licence offshore Namibia. No definitive development plans have been announced yet.