Namibia’s national power utility NamPower just spent a hefty sum on the high-voltage 950-km Caprivi Link Interconnector. The country’s president Hifikepunye Pohamba commissioned the N$3.2 billion project on November 12 with onlookers that included Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Rupiah Banda of Zambia, and Lieutenant-General Ian Khama of Botswana.
The Caprivi Link Interconnector has a 300-MW transfer capacity with the ability to increase to 600 MW. It will connect the Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe power grids to ensure there is reliable power transfer capability between the east and the west of the Southern African Power Pool comprising power utilities of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The interconnector took over two years to complete with NamPower using its own capital to fund the project; however, other donors included the Development Bank of Namibia with N$2 billion, the European Investment Bank, the German Development Bank (KfW), and the French Development Bank (AFD) with smaller loans totaling N$1.2 billion.
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