Tsumeb Biomass Power Station

Tsumeb Biomass Power Station, also Otjikoto Biomass Power Station, is a 40 MW biomass-fired thermal power plant under development in Namibia. The power station is owned and under development by NamPower, the national electricity utility company. As raw material, the power station is designed to use wood chips.

Location
The power plant is under construction approximately 12 km, north of the town of Tsumeb, in the Oshikoto Region of Namibia. Tsumeb is located approximately 433 km northeast of Windhoek, the largest city and national capital of the country.

Overview
The 40 MW power-generating plant is designed to use as raw material, wood chips derived from "brush wood", that grows abundantly in the locality where the power station is located. NamPower, the owner/developer of the power station intends to integrate the power generated here into the Namibian grid. The power station will burn wood chips to heat water and produce steam. The steam will then be used to turn turbines and generate electricity.

Construction costs and funding
Financing was sourced from various sources as outlined in the table below. The construction budget is calculated as US$151.83 million.

Contractor and timeline
The selected engineering, procurement and construction contractor is Dong Fang Electric International Corporation (DFEIC) of China. Construction is expected to start in H1 2024 and commercial commissioning is expected in Q1 2027.

Other considerations
Several benefits are expected to accrue from this project including:
 * 1) It has been estimated that around N$21 billion (US$1.14 million) in economic benefits could be harvested, "including increased groundwater recharge and improved agricultural productivity in harvested areas".
 * 2) The project increases the country's generation capacity as it strives to become a net energy exporter by 2030.
 * 3) This power station is part of  Namibia's efforts to reduce dependency on imported electricity.