NamPower inaugurates N$394m Africa-first digital substation

NamPower has inaugurated the Sekelduin Substation near Swakopmund, describing the N$394 million project as the first fully digital substation on the African continent.

The 132/66/33 kV indoor structure, situated about 8 km east of Swakopmund, was commissioned and energised on 24 September 2025. Its official inauguration took place on Monday.

The facility is intended to strengthen electricity supply to Swakopmund and surrounding areas, create capacity for coastal growth and improve the reliability of the Erongo electricity network.

The substation takes its name from Sekelduin, a nearby sickle-shaped dune in the Namib dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

NamPower managing director Kahenge Haulofu said the project was a response to rising energy needs in Erongo, driven by economic development, industrial expansion and population growth.

“This substation will play a vital role in ensuring that the electricity network remains capable of meeting both present and future demand,” he said.

He said Sekelduin will become the main transmission supply point to NamPower’s existing Swakopmund and Tamarisk substations, as well as supply points linked to water and mining-related infrastructure.

Lighting the way forward

Gaudentia Kröhne, deputy minister of industries, mines and energy, on Monday said: “In simple terms, the substation will ensure that the lights stay on, businesses continue to operate, and investors have confidence in Namibia’s energy future."

Sekelduin’s indoor design protects equipment from coastal conditions such as salt pollution, wind, dust and corrosion. Its digital systems allow remote monitoring and faster fault detection, reducing the need for conventional copper control cables.

Erongo RED chief executive Immanuel !Hanabeb said the project comes as demand in Swakopmund has grown from about 21 megawatts ten years ago to about 28 megawatts.

He said the new substation has increased supply capacity and provides redundancy in the network, which means electricity can be rerouted when there is a fault or outage.

Construction of the substation building started in July 2021 and was completed in March 2023. The project was initiated by Erongo RED and implemented with NamPower.