The second phase of the Calueque Permanent Pump Station upgrade is nearing completion, as government moves to strengthen water supply to central northern Namibia.
Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse said the project will improve water delivery from the Calueque Dam on the Namibia–Angola border, which supplies large parts of northern Namibia.
The upgrade includes the activation of 1MW pump units, hydraulic improvements, integration of SCADA and PLC systems, and electrical upgrades. Additional works include improved drainage and the construction of a new valve chamber linked to the Calueque Water Treatment Plant.
NamWater is working with Angola’s water utility GABHIC and contractor Mota-Engil Angola under a trilateral arrangement, although progress has been affected by contractual adjustments.
“In addition, Phase 1 of the commissioning of the permanent pump station at the Calueque Dam was successfully completed on 02 May 2024. Our national water utility, NamWater, is working closely with GABHIC and has made significant progress towards completing Phase 2. A joint technical engagement took place from 23 to 26 March 2026 in Calueque to finalise the scope of works with the contractor, Mota-Engil. Some delays were experienced due to necessary amendments to the original contract, particularly as NamWater was not part of the initial agreement between GABHIC and Mota-Engil,” he said.
The project is partly funded through about N$40 million secured by NamWater from the Technical Committee of Experts account.
Phase 2 focuses on commissioning high-capacity permanent pumps to replace ageing temporary units that have struggled to meet Namibia’s full water allocation of 6 cubic metres per second under a 1969 agreement with Angola.
The upgraded system will have a combined capacity of 7.4 cubic metres per second, improving reliability and reducing operational risks, while allowing simultaneous water off-take on the Angolan side.
The current phase builds on Phase 1, completed in 2017, which rehabilitated two pumping lines feeding water from the dam into the canal system supplying northern Namibia.
