Namibia and Angola have signed an agreement to commence construction of the cross-border Baynes hydroelectric power plant by September.
Announced during a bilateral meeting between Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo and Angola’s Minister of Energy and Water João Baptista Borges on June 3, the project leverages regional energy collaboration to strengthen cross-border power infrastructure.
Boasting a capacity of 881 MW, the Baynes hydroelectric power plant will be situated on the Lower Kunene River along the Namibia-Angola border. Electricity generated from the plant will be shared equally between the two countries through the Namibia-Angola Transmission Interconnection platform. The project will be funded through a public financing model and is projected to cost $1.3 billion.
“If it is public funding, we will have one year to mobilize sources of financing under favorable conditions to carry out this work as quickly as possible,” stated Minister Borges.
Set to bolster regional energy security and cooperation in the region, the Baynes hydroelectric power plant is poised to contribute to sustainable industrial and economic development in Angola, Namibia and the wider Southern African region.