Recently, Namibia and Zambia signed an agreement in Swakopmund, with an aim of constructing the Namibia-Zambia Gas Pipeline.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Zambia’s Peter Kapala and Namibia’s Tom Alweendo, Minister of Mines and Energy.
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The gas pipeline will run from Walvis Bay, a port town on Namibia’s coast, to Zambia.
The expected benefits the Namibia-Zambia Gas Pipeline would bring
If everything goes as planned, according to Alweendo, the project would unlock economic potential for the entire SADC (Southern African Development Community) region, not just Namibia and Zambia.
The Namibia-Zambia Gas Pipeline will serve as a good illustration of regional cooperation. This was as envisioned by the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan. He said that the member countries are urged to collaborate more and compete less under the plan.
Alweendo claimed that having access to energy is one of the main issues the African continent faces. He also said that more than 600 million people are living without it. Energy poverty is an issue that exists across the African continent.
Also, the lack of energy transportation infrastructure, according to him, is one of the reasons for the energy poverty the African continent encounters. He believes that gas will take the lead as the continent’s major energy source. That renders a gas pipeline essential for more efficient gas transportation.
The Minister said that signing an MoU is one thing, but making sure it is implemented is quite another. In line with the agreement of the MoU, he continued, a joint technical committee will be in charge of working with the private sector to determine the exact support that will be needed.
He said that they also called on the participants of the technical committee to put up their best efforts and see the Namibia-Zambia Gas Pipeline project.
In the meantime, the MoU was signed after the conclusion of the 10th session of the Namibia-Zambia joint permanent commission of cooperation. The session addressed an array of subjects aimed at fostering closer ties between the two countries.
