Lüderitz Port expansion gathers momentum
The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) has adequate plans in place for both the Port of Lüderitz and the Port of Walvis Bay in the short, medium and long term to accommodate current and future port demand.
“The Port of Lüderitz harbour has reached its capacity and needs to be expanded. Lüderitz Bay provides a good option for expansion with deep berths for oil and gas, while the Angra Point expansion will accommodate green hydrogen,” Immanuel Hango, Namport Port Engineer: Infrastructure and Maintenance, told attendees at the Construction Industry Forum 2025, hosted in the harbour town recently.
Hango said that the Port of Lüderitz comprises 25 hectares of land at Robert Harbour. “Currently, the port land is nearly fully occupied, with short- to medium-term (five years) additional capacity to be created through optimisation of existing land. In the long term (more than five years), a new port is planned at Angra Point (Lüderitz) with 886 hectares of additional land.” He added, “The Port of Lüderitz consists of three sections, including Robert Harbour, Lüderitz Bay and Angra Point, which is currently undeveloped. The Master Plan has adequate development capacity to cater for demand over the next century.”
In the pipeline
In providing an update on upcoming projects, all to be done via a national bidding process with a 10% performance guarantee requirement, Hango said that Namport intends to construct a new residential unit on Erf 635, which measures approximately 1 700 m² and is situated along Insel Street. “The estimated budget is N$15 million, with project implementation from April 2026 over a 12-month period,” he said. A second project by Namport involves the construction of a perimeter road consisting of a typical base and sub-base with interlocks. “The project, with an estimated budget of N$6.5 million to be executed over 12 months, will be re-advertised soon for implementation in 2026,” he said. Namport also intends to install a solar PV system. “The project, with an estimated budget of N$7 million and to be executed over 62 months, is due for implementation in 2026,” he said.
Annual perway-maintenance must also be conducted at the Port of Lüderitz. “This three-year annual contract project is due for implementation in April 2026 and entails cleaning of turnouts, tamping, etc.,” Hango said. According to Hango, the Diaz Point lighthouse will also be rehabilitated. “The project, with an estimated budget of N$3.5 million to be conducted over eight months, is due for implementation in 2026. This project will require no rope access, with scaffolding only to be utilised,” he emphasised. Specialist concrete repairs are also planned for both ports. “The bid for this project, with a budget of N$16 million and to be conducted over eight months, will be advertised in November 2025,” Hango said.
Port expansion
In addition to these projects, the first phase of the Robert Harbour quay wall expansion could be done at an estimated cost of N$4 billion (depending on the final quay length). “We envision a 500 m quay wall length at 9 m depth with 14 ha land reclamation. The EIA is currently underway and is to be completed by late 2025. The FEED design is also underway, with the geotechnical investigation to be done in the next six months. The EPC tender could be issued by mid-2026 at the latest, and the plan is to have the first section of the quay wall commissioned by late 2027 and the final section by 2028,” Hango explained.
Hango also pointed out that Namport had run a bid for a transaction advisor for the Lüderitz Oil and Gas Supply Base to assist the Port Authority in appointing competent supply base operator(s) for its planned supply bases in both ports.
“The Port of Lüderitz harbour has reached its capacity and needs to be expanded. Lüderitz Bay provides a good option for expansion with deep berths for oil and gas, while the Angra Point expansion will accommodate green hydrogen,” Immanuel Hango, Namport Port Engineer: Infrastructure and Maintenance, told attendees at the Construction Industry Forum 2025, hosted in the harbour town recently.
Hango said that the Port of Lüderitz comprises 25 hectares of land at Robert Harbour. “Currently, the port land is nearly fully occupied, with short- to medium-term (five years) additional capacity to be created through optimisation of existing land. In the long term (more than five years), a new port is planned at Angra Point (Lüderitz) with 886 hectares of additional land.” He added, “The Port of Lüderitz consists of three sections, including Robert Harbour, Lüderitz Bay and Angra Point, which is currently undeveloped. The Master Plan has adequate development capacity to cater for demand over the next century.”
In the pipeline
In providing an update on upcoming projects, all to be done via a national bidding process with a 10% performance guarantee requirement, Hango said that Namport intends to construct a new residential unit on Erf 635, which measures approximately 1 700 m² and is situated along Insel Street. “The estimated budget is N$15 million, with project implementation from April 2026 over a 12-month period,” he said. A second project by Namport involves the construction of a perimeter road consisting of a typical base and sub-base with interlocks. “The project, with an estimated budget of N$6.5 million to be executed over 12 months, will be re-advertised soon for implementation in 2026,” he said. Namport also intends to install a solar PV system. “The project, with an estimated budget of N$7 million and to be executed over 62 months, is due for implementation in 2026,” he said.
Annual perway-maintenance must also be conducted at the Port of Lüderitz. “This three-year annual contract project is due for implementation in April 2026 and entails cleaning of turnouts, tamping, etc.,” Hango said. According to Hango, the Diaz Point lighthouse will also be rehabilitated. “The project, with an estimated budget of N$3.5 million to be conducted over eight months, is due for implementation in 2026. This project will require no rope access, with scaffolding only to be utilised,” he emphasised. Specialist concrete repairs are also planned for both ports. “The bid for this project, with a budget of N$16 million and to be conducted over eight months, will be advertised in November 2025,” Hango said.
Port expansion
In addition to these projects, the first phase of the Robert Harbour quay wall expansion could be done at an estimated cost of N$4 billion (depending on the final quay length). “We envision a 500 m quay wall length at 9 m depth with 14 ha land reclamation. The EIA is currently underway and is to be completed by late 2025. The FEED design is also underway, with the geotechnical investigation to be done in the next six months. The EPC tender could be issued by mid-2026 at the latest, and the plan is to have the first section of the quay wall commissioned by late 2027 and the final section by 2028,” Hango explained.
Hango also pointed out that Namport had run a bid for a transaction advisor for the Lüderitz Oil and Gas Supply Base to assist the Port Authority in appointing competent supply base operator(s) for its planned supply bases in both ports.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article