Baynes Hydroelectric Power Station

The Baynes Hydroelectric Power Station is a planned 600 MW hydroelectric power plant in northwest Namibia, at the border with Angola.

Location
The power station is located across the Kunene River, in the Kunene Region of Namibia, approximately 200 km downstream of Ruacana Hydroelectric Power Station, at the international border with the Republic of Angola.

The location is at the foothills of the Baynes Mountains, approximately 750 km, by road, northwest of Windhoek, the capital and largest city of Namibia. The dam and power station would sit astride the border between Angola and Namibia.

Overview
Before 2005, NamPower, the electricity supply parastatal in Namibia, maintained a Firm Power Contract (FPC) with Eskom of South Africa. That year, the contract expired and could not be renewed because South Africa was having a power shortage of its own. Joint feasibility studies, environmental and resettlement assessments, selected the present location, because it was the least disruptive to the environment and to the lives of the indigenous communities. The governments of Angola and Namibia decided to build a 600 megawatt power station and share the energy equally.

Technical details
The dam consists of a rock fill embankment with a concrete face. The rock fill will be 12000000 m3. The maximum dam wall height will be 200 m, creating a reservoir that measures 43 km, long and a maximum width of 4 km. The resultant lake would have a surface area of 57 km2 and hold 2650000000 m3 of water. Power will be generated by five Francis-type Vertical Axis turbines. Two turbines will each have capacity of 71 megawatts and three with 156.75 megawatts capacity each.

Construction
The construction budget has been calculated at US$1.2 billion. Construction is planned to start in 2021 and conclude in 2025. After completion, Angola and Namibia are expected to utilize 300 megawatts each. In April 2020, that timeline was pushed back; with construction starting in 2023 and commissioning in 2029.